Fairy Tail: The Mists of Brigadoon
by ClairyFairyTaily
Summary: An encounter with the Iron Dragon Slayer brings up feelings of helplessness that Levy cannot ignore. She takes a job request in a faraway place where, despite the fact she must leave her Fairy Tail family behind, she feels she can become stronger. After a year away she returns with a request of her own that will take take her friends to a forgotten town full of secrets - Brigadoon.
1. Opening Part 1:Conquering the Dark

**Greetings to you reader! This is a little story set in the world of the Fairy Tail Anime TV show and Manga. Before we get onto the main adventure, I'm setting off our main ship! I'm not the best writer and this is my first fanfiction, so please be nice. I'll try my best to do Fairy Tail justice.**

Conquering the Dark: Part 1

Levy awoke to the single most delightful scent that one could ever have the pleasure of waking up to. The pages of an old book. She sat up, stretched her arms out wide and sighed in contentment, had she fallen asleep at her desk again? Her groggy eyes surveyed the dimly lit room around her and she gasped in horror. No - it was so much worse than that, she'd managed to fall asleep in the guild's resource room again. Master Makarov would not be happy even though he had no right to complain. She laughed groggily.

In between jobs she had become an almost informal librarian for the guild. She found peace amongst the shelves filled with her beloved books and in the tower where they were kept. It was more of a private resource room, separate from the more readily available resources found downstairs and therefore if wasn't often her guild mates used it. She could almost guarantee solitude when she came up here thanks to Makarovs tight restrictions on when people were in enough of a pickle to need this stuff - although that never deterred the likes of Gajeel, Lily or Lu-chan. However this time, after returning with Jet and Droy from a particularly lengthy job south of Magnolia, she discovered that her guild mates had basically destroyed the whole library. There were even singe marks on the walls and books, implicating Team Natsu for sure. She'd have to give Lu-chan a piece of her mind regarding the reigning in of her flame brained lover boy.

She looked down at the book that had become her pillow and closed it, caressing the thick spine with delicate hands. 'Ancient Geographical Spell Anomalies' was the title. She yawned a little, it couldn't have been a page turner.

As she could see no clock in the dim room with no windows she had no way of knowing for sure what the time was. Although, she guessed it must be after three - mainly due to the absence of screaming and crashing characteristic of her guild mates in the day time. Even Jet and Droy went home without her.

"At least I'll have prolonged my peace- ough." The ache in her back made her cry out, her punishment for all that time spent slumped over her desk. And she could only imagine what a mess she must have looked, not that it mattered when she was alone in the dark. She began to giggle whilst she massaged the sore spot on her spine, then stopped abruptly.

"Oh..." She half whimpered, all wide eyed, as her true predicament hit her. She adjusted her (Gale-force) reading glasses, one of a variety of her nervous fidgets. It was not an ideal situation for someone so fearful, she was really alone and it was really dark. And quiet. But this was Fairy Tail's main building, there was really nothing to fear and aso really nothing to do but get up off her ass and go home. Although she was distraught at the thought of that trek all the way back to Fairy Hills in the dark. But pouting about it wouldn't help.

Levy entered the pitch black stairwell that would take her from the tower down to the guilds swimming pool area and descended quickly, her breath hitched both out of exertion and genuine panic. The dark was scary! Especially with her being so small and everything. If a big, hairy beast were to come at her now - she'd be a goner.

She flung open the door at the bottom of the stairway which brought her to the area of the swimming pool.

"Oh my Mavis..." She gasped and brought her hands up to her mouth to distort a delighted squeal. The pool room she currently stood in had a particular feature meaning that although it was indoors the light and general feel of the area was supposed to emulate the outside world, but this was nothing short of a fantasy. The whole room was washed with an iridescent blue shimmer with what looked like tiny slivers of silver light writhing in the air, perhaps mimicking stars, and the water had an unearthly glow that easily chased the shadows away. Yup. There was no way she was about to run through a horribly dreary guild hall all the way to the door where the real night time paled in comparison to this illusion.

"Is anyone there?" The corners of her mouth pulled upwards as she whispered into the empty room, her voice echoed but she received no reply. "This is so cool!" She let out a shriek and spun around giddily, yanking off her little shoes and frilly socks to skip over to the side of the pool. Imagine a guild having a pool, she rolled her eyes and let the cool water wash over her feet sending a delighted shiver up her back, how indulgent they were.

Levy was definitely a goody two shoes in comparison to many of her guild mates, she never fought or swore, and that had always given her pride. But in this moment of childish glee, some very unused and very devilish part of her decided that it might be fun to exchange those strong morals for a night time swim. One night embracing the devil in her couldn't hurt.

"Lu-chan would be so proud!" She declared with glee as she tore off her bright yellow headband and tossed it away somewhere near her shoes, before she hastily pulled her orange dress over her head and threw that as well. She grinned wickedly now feeling very much like the promiscuous characters in the stories Erza liked as she stood unabashed in just her under garments. She liked this set. They were a delicate white and blue colour with pretty frills and bows but were very comfortable, as was specified when she let her friends take her shopping - though their loveliness could not make up for her pale and boyish figure. She shrugged it off. There are many things more powerful than breasts and curves, as she had told Wendy one day in the bath house when the younger bluenette was feeling self-conscious.

Levy sat down on the edge of the pool and kicked her feet, watching the water glimmer in the silver-blue faux moonlight. She allowed her eyes to flutter closed whilst she took a deep breath in, holding it for a moment, tilting her head back and exhaling slowly. She hummed with pure bliss as more shivers ran over her body. The small bluenette was completely unaware of the dark mass looming in the doorway behind her, watching her with **amusement.** She hummed a sweet tune as she relaxed completely into her setting, giggling when she would kick water up and splash herself. She was unaware of darkening red eyes upon her. She dipped her fingertips in the water and wrote names, like Lu-chan and that of a certain pierced and beastly dragon slayer. All in all, she was enjoying the hell out of this little risqué moment she had allowed herself. But just as she was about to jump down from the side of the pool and into the cold blue water she heard a particular kind of laugh from behind her.

"Gihi. What the hell, shrimp." Came a familiar voice that seemed to have the ability to send her head spinning. She stopped what she was doing. It was as if Natsu had burned up all the oxygen in the room and Gray had encased her whole body in ice. That was the dizzying, cold and breathless fear that gripped her when that dragon slayer spoke.

"G- Gajeel?" Of course it was him, he was the only one who called her shrimp. She didn't feel she could bring herself to turn around and look him. She prayed that this was a nightmare, or if it wasn't that Gajeel would simply disappear into the shadows, embarrassed or bored she didn't care so long as he would disappear.

"The' fuck are you doing shorty?" He said slowly as she heard his huge feet begin stomping towards her. He wasn't going to disappear then. She she shook with the vibrations his hulking metal body sent through the floor and she was finally able to spring to her feet, just narrowly escaping a tumble into the pool as her body twisted to face his. She squeaked. He was literally right there. Or his chest was anyway.

"I was j- just sitting..." She stuttered hurriedly.

"Were you now?" his large arms crossed over the wide expanse of his chest. She didn't want to look up and see his signature and terrifying scowl. He was too dark, and too scary - like the stairwell. "I didn't take you for an exhibitionist Shrimp, that's for sure..." His chuckle had a dangerous edge, but also something else she didn't like, especially when very nearly pressed up against him. The chuckle made her want to shrink within herself but she didn't let on.

"Yeah well, I didn't take you for a pervert" She said defiantly, throwing her shoulders back as she attempted to move past him and pick up her dress. But he stepped to the side, effectively blocking her path and causing her to run into him. Her body was electrified where they touched, the rough leather and cold studs on his jacket felt almost pleasant despite the fact that she was drowning in humiliation, and this made her face red.

"Seriously, Gajeel, it's not funny."

"Aw Shorty, you shouldn't be embarrassed." Levy's brows furrowed as she stared up at his huge form, the blush fading as soon as he spoke. She waited for the punchline. He always had a punchline. "Cause' those are some real nice panties you got on." There we are.

"You beast!" She struck his chest with her small fist and kicked his shin with her little feet, her white hot rage dulled the pain of striking someone who was dense as iron in more ways than one. "I was having a good time, I didn't know anyone was here! I wouldn't have done it if-"

"I could tell you were having a good time... Gihi" She glared up at him, in stead of a girlish blush she knew her face must have been scarlet because she was seething.

"Disappear!" She yelled and struck his chest again, this time sucessfully dashing away to get her dress and shoes. "How long did you watch me for idiot?" Levy made a run for the door, clothing all bundled up in her arms, but her way was blocked again by Gajeel who seemed to be a better door than and actual door was a door. Oh Mavis, her brain cells had literally been incinerated by her mortification.

"You're not going anywhere Shrimp. Not until you get dressed." She raised an eyebrow and took a small step back? This felt familiar somehow. Her eyes widened, she needed to get out of here.

"I need to go" She informed him, the panic as painful memories surfaced were making her dizzy and she couldn't conceal her unease. But he didn't seem to be getting it. He merely grinned and leaned against the doorframe, appearing to relish in the situation. That drove her deeper into panic. The memory of the branding came back with force, she could feel the intense heat on her stomach. Levy couldn't take his eyes on her anymore and attempted to make a run for it underneath his elbow. "Eugh!" She cried as he caught her round the waist and threw her roughly back into the pool room with terrifying ease. She skidded across the floor and ended up sprawled out on her knees, clutching her dress and shoes in front of her. Her chest heaved. She wanted to cry but stopped herself and stood up immediately, this had gotten a bit out of hand. Levy's eyes widened as she relived her and Gajeels first encounter, parts of it clouding her vision sporadically.

"You're not leaving, Short stuff. As if I'd let you run through the streets of Magnolia looking like that." He said this with a growl, his red eyes seeming somewhat darker than usual. What was possessing him to act this way? Another wave of panic hit making her nauseous. She thought she had forgiven him despite what he had done to her, Jet and Droy. Why was she getting these feelings. It was like she was unravelling. The attack seemed fresh now. Her anger increased. Though it was difficult, she forced herself to stop shaking now. He had thrown her about like a ragdoll then too - laughed at her for being weak and small. "Shrimp?" He eagerly awaited her comeback, that was observable. They had fought before, many times, but never had she felt like this.

"Well Gajeel." She paused and contemplated what bringing the past attack up could mean. She had been kind to him, never really held him accountable for the damage he'd done to her and her teammates. The feelings she was getting now, how had she kept them locked away? An uncontrollable shiver ran over her body, if she revealed these feelings to him it would mean the end of the bond they had forged - however dysfunctional. His chuckle broke her train of thought and the darkness it put her in mind of cut into her like glass. She ground her teeth and clenched her fists, she would have to say it. "It's no more humiliating than the beating you gave me Gajeel, before you hung me up for the whole of the town to see. You branded me, Gajeel. Like an animal. Do you remember?" His laugh stopped immediately as he seemed to realise what was going on, now it was his turn to avert his eyes in shame. Though her voice shook, Levy stood straight and lifted her chin up in defiance. "Are you not having fun anymore? Is it harsh to bring up such things?"

"Shrimp- I didn't..." He seemed startled. As if he'd just flipped the page and got caught up on what they were reading. She stared at him until his red eyes, now absent of the dark tainting, finally met hers. "I..."

"Let me go home," She whispered hatefully, "Black Steel Gajeel." Her tears threatened to fall once more as she saw a look of horror pass over the brute's stony face. The giant of a dragon slayer moved aside immediately. She may have been nothing but nice to him from when he joined Fairy Tail but that had never stopped him starring in many of her nightmares, this seemed to be breaking point. It was as if, in order to continue functioning as normal, she had chosen to force the memory of the attack away. By sealing away those memories she was able to push down the fear that was born of it. The fear that she wasn't strong enough to protect herself.

She kept her eyes on the iron beast. The fact that he seemed to show remorse for this encounter was the only thing that allowed her to begin to function normally. And that drove her further into her fear. The fact that she was relying on Gajeel to not harm her in any way. She knew he wouldn't, although.

Levy took her time as she pulled on her dress, deep in the new nightmare of her truest ignored fear. Gajeel just stood unmoving by the door. Her breathing was slow as she slipped her socks onto her feet followed by her shoes. The silence between them was terribly heavy but Levy kept her eyes on Gajeel, he released the memories (and caused them) but it wasn't truly his fault. She just couldn't console him right now. She had to get out of here and as the Dragon Slayer dared not look at her she could stand to let him stay there. She was wrapped up in her own chaos for a moment. When she'd finished dressing, she adjusted her glasses and moved towards the door, right past him and straight ahead into the darkness of the guilds main hall. Distracted with a new sense of her own helplessness.

From behind her she heard a pained beastly groan and nodded to herself. As much as she felt bad for bringing up his past, there was no need for him to treat her like that. So objectively and uncaring. They were supposed to be guild mates. And she wasn't the type of mage to let anyone get away with that kind of behaviour, even when she wasn't having a crisis. On top of all this, Levy wasn't afraid to admit that what he had done shocked her, normally he was so withdrawn that it was endearing. And when they did argue, it usually ended up with them becoming closer. She shook her head, surely he should have left as soon as he saw the state she was in. But tonight he had stayed to taunt her. No wonder she was having these flashbacks, the Gajeel back there was scarily reminiscent of the Gajeel from Phantom Lord, with him being so brutally domineering and perverse. Black Steel Gajeel was the one who had hurt her in the name of his Guild. Levy had thought that version was gone.

Levy shuddered as she thought about what must have happened to her. Almost immediately after his attack, where she realised the true extent of her weakness, he joined Fairy Tail. And then ended up becoming her protector. With the new Gajeel, she never felt helpless. He'd always distracted her from her fear. And she had allowed this to go on for too long. Relying on Gajeel to make her strong just wouldn't cut it now. It wouldn't have lasted forever anyway, guilt wears off. That was the only reason he protected her.

The bluenette didn't understand. She had thought herself strong before the Phantom Lord disaster, it was enough for her to be clever - wasn't it? And it wasn't as if solid script magic was useless. Master had chosen her to take part in the S-class trials! Although without Gajeel she may have perished on Tenerou. Surely that was proof of her capability. She sighed and her shoulders sagged. The world was just more dangerous now, especially for Fairy Tail. She wouldn't survive much longer if she didn't get strong... She couldn't rely on that brute to protect her anymore, especially after how he made her feel.

She had reached the front door of the guild hall now and before she pushed it open, she realised something. She turned around and looked into the black abyss she had just now walked through. She smiled sadly. 'I have conquered the darkness' she though. It just didn't seem as scary anymore. She had a far more pressing fear to deal with.

**Me oh my! What a right old mess we have here! What the hell iron breath!? **

**I do love Gajeel and I don't like writing him like this, but as a grey character I think it works. He doesn't usually think much about what he's saying. And for Levy to grow into the character I need, a push was necessary and this seems like the right way to go. She needed to confront what Gajeel put her through in order to start making changes. It's not nice to have your life in someone else's hands, especially if you don't feel like you can rely on them *Gulp* But don't worry, I would never deny GaLe fluff for too long. **

**Anyways, thank you so much for reading if you got this far! I'm hoping to have another part for you next week! We shall see the aftermath of Gajeel and Levy's standoff as well as our beloved blunettes breakdown. We may even get caught up with our other fairy tail friends and ready ourselves for a new and exciting adventure!**

**Long Live GaLe!**


	2. Opening Part 2: She Wishes to Run

**A/N: **

**Heigh ho there lovely reader.**

**I'm thinking that this little bit of story that I'm using to set the scene will be about 5 parts long. Then I plan to actually take them to Brigadoon! This has definitely ended up a bit of a slow burner in chemistry wise so apologies for that! I will get the GaLe flames a-roaring as soon as possible, I can barely contain my excitement and I'm doing the bloody writing! I suppose that's a true testament to my love of Fairy Tail and all things GaLe.**

* * *

**Part 2: Escaping the Fear**

Fairy Tail was alive with its usual hustle and bustle a few meager hours after Levy and Gajeels less than stellar encounter in the pool room. It was a typical day, no great overarching plots of destruction or ancient enemies were bothering the Guild at the moment so they simply kept themselves busy with the many requests they had received after their triumph at the Grand Magic Games.

Natsu, the cherry haired dragon slayer and Happy, the fish loving blue exceed devoured their second breakfasts of the morning, whilst their usual companion Lucy could only look across the table in mild horror, but with a strange fondness even she didn't understand. The trio bantered with one another in a way only Team Natsu could. There was a contented joy radiating from their table, it was easy to see that they were completely devoted to one another. Although they were loath to admit it themselves.

The ice mage Grey was deep in conversation with Erza, whose scarlet hair shone nearly as brightly as her armour, about a job they were about to undertake. All whilst Juvia, in full stalker mode, looked upon the scene intensely from a few metres away, hidden stealthily (or so she believed) behind a plant attempting to make out what the two were saying through reading their lips. She gasped at one point of their conversation and let her head fall to her chest, comically turning to water over the plant, perhaps misreading something?

Others like Mira-Jane, Wendy and Charle were laughing joyously as the mid-morning sun lit up the guild, casting a warm and bright light which raised even the most emotionally constipated mages spirits.

Master Makarov, with lines over his kind face, observed his family from a landing above the mess hall and smiled contently. Even Laxus and his Thunder Legion joined in with everyone. It filled the old guild master with pride that made his short stature feel ten times taller. That's when he spotted a certain blunette hasten through the open doors and head straight for the request board. She seemed determined. And troubled. Not something he usually sensed from the happy go lucky child.

When Levy finally entered the busy guild it was now full and buzzing with the energies of her many friends who she could see were filled with joy. Although she could not find it within herself to share in their happiness. Last night she had returned to her room at Fairy Hills and headed straight into the shower. As if the warm water could wash away the anguish of her encounter with Gajeel. She had come to the conclusion, as the water rained down upon her, that though she had lost her fear of the dark, it seemed that she was now afraid of her own helplessness. Despite the heavy weight on her mind, her body felt refreshed after a few hours' sleep and the solid script mage had that morning concocted a plan. It had come to her as she watched the boats sailing along the river this morning. She headed straight for the request board with one thing in mind. Escape.

Lucy and Wendy were the only ones to catch the blunette enter, she did not call out to everyone as usual to wish them a good morning which seemed strange. They both waved over to her but she seemed to take no notice causing Lucy to raise her eyebrows in surprise and Wendy to look down at her shoes in embarrassment for being shunned. They then looked to one another from their places on opposite sides of the room. What was with their bubbly little Levy? The two of them acknowledged one another and jumped up to go see what was wrong.

Levy didn't hear her friends come up behind her as scanned the board on her tip toes. Where was that thing she saw the other day? The one on printed on parchment.

"Morning Levy-chan!" Said Lucy in a sing song voice as she and Wendy approached the girl. Levy jumped slightly, as she was grabbing the job listing before turning to greet them. She put on her game face and broke out her sunniest smile. Wendy didn't believe it, but she stayed silent.

"Lu-chan! Wendy!" The small girl grabbed them both into a tight hug.

"Eugh! Levy!" Cried Lucy as the petite girl basically squished her face in between her cleavage, she and Wendy exchanged glances once more as their faces reddened, their eyes darting about to see if anybody was paying attention to the exchange. If Levy kept this up they would have a lot of nose bleeds on their hands.

"Are you alright, Levy?" Questioned a concerned Wendy as their friend released them. "You seem a little..." She trailed off as Levy began to laugh.

"Of course! I'm absolutely fine." She grinned and began to bounce on her feet giddily. "Actually, I'm better than fine." She thrust the piece of paper detailing the job she was about to undertake towards them. Lucy gasped.

"But Levy - this is whole year..." Cried the blonde haired mage. Wendy's eyes widened as she brought a hand up to her mouth.

"And it says here you'll have to go all the way overseas..." By now Charle had flown over the trio and perched upon the table next to them to listen.

"Please guys, don't worry. It's just a little protection job, and I'll get to live in one of the largest libraries in this hemisphere!" Levy patted their heads and skipped towards Mira behind the bar. "It'll be easy." She winked over her shoulder at the pair.

"I think she's snapped." Lucy took a deep breath in as she watched Mira's face go from cheery to confused. But Levy just danced on the spot in excitement.

"I- I hope she's okay." Wendy said softly, continuing to watch the fellow blunette.

"She's running, you know." Piped up Charle who dusted down her dress, feigning a polite disinterest.

"Huh?" Questioned the girls at once, Levy was headed back over.

"Perhaps you should ask her why she wishes to run." The pretty, white haired exceed suggested. Her ability to see into the future assured the girls that their concerns for Levy were just.

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning!" Beamed Levy, sitting down next to Charle. "You wanna give me a copy of your novel? I could slip it onto one of the shelves at the library." She giggled mischievously.

"Uh, sure Levy..." The celestial wizard sat down to face her friend. "And I'm happy you're taking on such a good job - but it's not like you to go off like this." Her eyes were pleading.

"Have you told Jet and Droy?" Queried Wendy who stood rubbing one of her elbows timidly.

"What about Gajeel?" Mira-Jane had appeared behind them with a tray of drinks and saw Levy flinch at his name.

"I don't need to tell Jet and Droy!" She defended, losing her cool slightly. "And what about him?" She spat venomously.

"Well, he normally likes to go with you on dangerous-" Mira began only to be cut off by the solid script mage.

"He can't protect me Mira." She scoffed and caused those around her to regard her quizzically, Mira only laughed. Levy relented slightly. "Well, not forever anyway. I've got to deal with things by myself. I've got to be stronger."

"Levy, he won't like it you know." Mira giggled. "I don't know how he'd handle a whole year without you!"

"I doubt he'd notice I'm gone." Levy knew she was of little importance to the iron dragon slayer but that didn't stop her wanting to reconcile with him after her anger from last night had faded. She would have to wait until after she got back from her job however. Something told her that if she were to see him and tell him her plans, he may try to stop her going. In fact, she hoped he wasn't lurking around the guild somewhere.

"Levy, think about this. A whole year without Fairy Tail?" Lucy really didn't want to think of her friend in some far off place. A place she had to protect alone. She was so little.

"I have thought about it Lulu..." Her eyes were far away for a moment. "I just know that I have to do this. It's the only way." If she were to get stronger she would have to go to a place that would work for someone like her. The North Phoenix Library was that place.

"I wish you wouldn't go alone though." Tears brimmed in the blonde mages eyes. She could sense her friend's pain now, Charle was right. She was indeed running. But from what? All Lucy could do was beg her to stay, if she hadn't immediately told her then it must be something she didn't want to get into.

"Oh Luce. I have to and I especially have to be alone..." She reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. "But I'll call all the time! It'll be like I'm still here." She chased away the sorrow from her face and voice. "Maybe, you, Wendy and Charle could even take a trip out to see me!"

"All right then Levy-chan" Lucy relented whilst Wendy and Charle giggled happily. If it was Levys final decision, they would support her with everything she needed.

The four of them talked for 20 minutes or so until a huge burst of flames shot past them.

"Fight me then stripper! I'll show you who's fat and slow!" Came the idiotic and crazed roar of a certain Natsu Dragneel. "Eurgh! I'm all fired up now!"

"Uh oh..." Cringed Lucy as she took off across the hall to try and calm him.

"That quiet didn't last long." Sighed Wendy.

"It never does... And that reminds me, I forgot to punish Team Natsu for the mess they left of my library!" Levy's shoulders shook with a laugh as Wendy gasped and took off towards the fighting. It was safer than an earful from Levy after all. The blunette rolled her eyes and used the table to support her jumping up, she'd better grab some books for the trip. She was sure there was a few that would be useful... The Library probably wouldn't have some of the books Master Makarov kept.

"Let go of me Luce!" Roared Natsu again as Lucy tried to tear him away from his prey, a very angry looking and very naked Ice wizard. "I gotta' melt this Ice Princess bastard!"

Levy winced now at her friend's face that read 'I'm in over my head again' and weaved her way through the watching crowd and overturned tables as she headed for the resource room.

"Fools!" Yelled the deadliest voice one could ever encounter. Erza stood over the mages, her signature glare that seemed to make her look ten feet taller stopped the young mages in their tracks.

"Aye Erza!" And now they were mimicking Happy as they clung on to one another in sheer terror.

"You have disrupted my cake! Prepare yourselves for punishment." It was true. There was a rather sad looking and flat strawberry cake near one of the upturned tables. Erzas favourite. Levy smirked good naturedly, she wouldn't need to take revenge for her library after this. Erzas wrath was punishment enough.

Levy had begun to walk backwards as she smiled at a scene she may not be seeing for a while, although she could always get Lucy to record it and send it to her if she felt particularly homesick. That'd be funny.

She ran into something as she got lost in her own amusement. Backwards walking wasn't really a good idea.

"Oh sor-" She turned around only to feel her blood run cold. Gajeel stood before her. Just as he had last night, towering over her small form. She backed away from him and stared up in horror. He was really the last person on earth she wanted to see. The memories of last night flooded back. Though she was ready to forgive him, he reminded her of the fear that made her wish to run thousands of miles from her home.

Once she tore her eyes away she attempted to run past him, through the very same door he had blocked last night.

"Shorty, wait." He grabbed her wrist in an attempt to get her to stop and talk to him, maybe he'd even apologise. All it did was bring her fear to the surface.

"Get off me Gajeel!" She yanked her arm back and cradled it to her chest, as if his touch had burned her. They stared at each other, she with pain in her eyes and he with disbelief. Then she took off towards her fortress of solitude. The tower. Surely he wouldn't follow her, he disapproves of weaklings.

Master Makarov, from his high place, shook his head with disappointment. This was not due to the childish antics some of his family were participating in, it was because he could see something with such promise dying off. He watched Levy run off and then looked back to the boy, staring after her. He then saw him pull back his fist and punch, with great conviction the wall next to him. What was going on here? He remembered the day he promised to guide the boy towards the light, but it seemed it kept running away from him. And the big idiot didn't even realise it.

**Thanks for Reading if you got this far! Especially since I haven't really put in any 'squee' moments! You know that part of a story or that sentence that just makes you want to shout and scream and cheer for your ship!**


	3. Opening Part 3: Dysfunctional Farewell

**A/N:**

**Heigh Ho again!**

**Thanks for stopping by Part 3 of our little opening sequence!**

**I sincerely hope you enjoy reading!**

**Dysfunctional Farewell: Part 3**

When Levy got halfway up the stairway she flat out collapsed and after a moment on the hard steps, she finally let go. She began to cry frustrated tears that turned very quickly into full on sobs that shook her whole body. Running into Gajeel like that had caused the fear to grasp her in an instant. She felt bad for shouting at him.

She lay there in the dark, worrying.

She did not want to tell anyone that she was going on such a long job, if it was painful for her then it would be painful for them too. She especially didn't want to tell Jet, Droy and Gajeel. She knew that Jet and Droy would be distraught, they were like family after all and she had already left them for seven years beforehand. She knew they would beg her to let them accompany her and that she'd hurt them when she said no. She also fretted that Gajeel would try to force her to let him go with her, and the worst part would probably be that she would want to say yes to him. How could it be easier to say no to her team mates whom she'd known and loved for so long compared to than that iron idiot? It just wasn't right. It couldn't be helped although. Despite their past and his attitude towards her sometimes, Levy couldn't help but care for Gajeel. There was something about him. But if she was going to get stronger then she'd have to leave everyone behind, including him. She would go to this library and use the knowledge within its walls to do something about her helplessness. Whether it be learning new magic, finding a mystical object or whatever.

She allowed herself to be numb for a while, the tears still flowed as if they could never be stopped.

Then Levy felt herself being lifted up by the back of her dress and didn't fight it immediately, she just hung limply in the air until she heard the familiar squeak of her libraries floorboards.

The blunette was just lying there on the staircase when he finally got some guts and followed her. She had head in her arms as she cried and the sound of her tiny sobs made him want to rip out his own heart and hand it to her. Then, for a moment he felt like turning round and running off to get those two bozos she called team mates so that they could help her. But he decided that she wouldn't want that. Even though she was crying because of him, he still wanted to be the one to dry her tears. He picked her up, as he usually did, by the fabric at the back of her top. He didn't think she'd like it if he touched her right now.

"I messed up, Shrimp." He said, with unusual softness as he stepped onto the resource room's creaky floor. He put her down gently and she thankfully stayed on her feet. In the back of his mind he'd worried she might have just let herself fall to the floor.

Levy stood on shaky legs. So he'd come after her? He must be really guilty.

She stole a glance at him and then moved away from his towering form, up one of the libraries rows, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "Why did you do that to me? Last night." Gajeel wanted to go to her. In every fibre of his being he wanted to reach out and touch her trembling body and be of some help. But how could she ever find comfort in the man who had hurt her so badly? Sure he could punch people for her, hell he'd even kill for her, but this kind of stuff he found impossible.

"I'm sick in the head." He stated simply, watching her from the opposite side of the bookshelf. Forcing himself to remain on the spot. As if dust wood and books could somehow protect her from him and his destructiveness. She had wrapped her arms around herself and kept her head down letting soft blue hair fall over a pained face.

The room was dim and quiet save for the sounds of the ruckus downstairs.

"Me too." She sniffed and Gajeel took a step back, his eyes wide. Had she really been so horribly affected by what happened last night? He realised that it was pretty bad when she brought up the attack but now she looked so distraught and fragile that it served to double his self-loathing. How could he have let his dark nature loose on her again? Well, he knew why. It was because she was right in front of him last night, alone and dancing around - half naked to top it off. It had possessed him in the worst of ways. She seemed to have a knack for bringing out his primal side. Not that he ever let on, he didn't want to scare her. But last night, during a lapse of control, he had done just that.

"That ain't right Shorty. You're sane as they come." His rough voice sent shivers down her back, she wanted to go to him for comfort - but she resisted. That wasn't Gajeel's style. He must have thought she was angry at him for last night, and she was, but it was definitely more to do with how he had awakened such a great fear within her. It wasn't fair to keep so closed, she needed to get him onto her page. She decided that she would tell him exactly what she thought.

"I'm not sane. I'm broken... And I need to be fixed." Her voice shook. Stop talking in riddles, she thought to herself. Why couldn't she just say it plainly?

She clenched her fists by her sides and squeezed her eyes shut once more as she rushed to get everything out: "Gajeel, please don't beat yourself up about last night, I get it. You were just being an idiot and that's not why I'm being so crazy. I'm sorry about using the attack against you, you're a different person now." She took a deep breath in. "You helped me realise that I need to be stronger. Thank you for holding me together for so long, I really appreciate it, but I need to learn how to take care of myself. I know that I can't go on living with others as my only protection, you'll all leave one day and then what'll I do? If I don't make myself better - I'll probably end up dead."

The small blunette ended her ramblings then gasped as she was suddenly engulfed by something. Gajeel had managed, in unnerving silence, to make his way around to the row she stood in and now held her tiny frame to his chest. It startled her, but she welcomed it. Her head spun as she breathed in his scent, almost melting against the warm leather of his jacket but she caught herself. If she didn't put a stop to this, she probably wouldn't be able to leave. She shoved forcefully against his stomach in an effort to escape and the large dragon slayer released her immediately. She gazed up at him questioningly. To comfort her in this way must have meant that he felt insanely guilty. She would never misinterpret it, but she couldn't deny the way Gajeel Redfox made her feel right now in her vulnerable state. She had never witnessed this side to him. She wasn't even sure, from looking at his face, if he'd ever actually hugged anyone before. She shouldn't have pushed him away.

"I couldn't leave you, Shrimp." He said, looking straight into her wide, innocent hazel eyes and noticing the blush that appeared on her cheeks. Damned woman. With a heavy sigh, Levy shook her head at him.

"That's why I'm leaving." She murmured reluctantly. He was still for a moment as he processed the statement. He shouldn't have touched her.

"What do you mean by leaving Shorty?" The softness he had shown faded away and he took a step back from her, as if she had become dangerous.

"I taking on a big job Gajeel. It's faraway and I'll be gone a while..." He closed his eyes and inhaled. Back to reality.

"How long is 'a while'?" The way he growled it out seemed to stir up her anger slightly. They truly were a dysfunctional pair. Hadn't they just been having a moment?

"A year." She stated curtly. Gajeel couldn't hide his anger. After that admission from earlier he knew that she would try to go alone. He scoffed, how was going on a job for a year going to help her get stronger? How stupid could she be? Didn't she know what her leaving would do to everyone -to him.

"Do I get a say in this, Shrimp?" He blurted without thinking. Oh shit. He watched her face fall before her brow creased, as it usually did when she was fighting with him.

"Why the hell would you get a say?"

"I don't know."

"Well don't ask then!"

"Where is it?" He said and crossed his massive arms. Was this supposed to intimidate her? Well it did last night, she supposed.

"I don't have to tell you."

"Is that so?"

"It is actually!" She half yelled as he shifted on his feet. His crimson eyes bore into her but she held his gaze.

"Where are you going, Shrimp?" He said slowly through gritted teeth.

"To a library..." She finally said, remaining vague. The fact that it was a library seemed to put him more at ease. His stance relaxed and she nodded to herself.

"What's the job for?" His rough voice was steady. She looked sideways quickly and feigned nonchalance.

"Just sorting books and stuff. A little bit of guard duty..." His ears perked up at 'guard duty'. Oh no.

"Guard duty? What kind of library needs a guard?" He looked almost flustered. Mavis! How could one man have so many mood shifts? It was making her dizzy.

"What's with the interrogation, idiot!" She deflected, but he was having none of it.

"What kind of Library needs a guard, Levy?" He'd used her name. She felt like a scolded child.

"Um, a big one." His face deadpanned, what the hell was she talking about? Gajeel sizzled as she pouted like a petulant child.

"Well I'm going with you then, Shrimp." Levys eyes widened. This is what she was afraid of.

"You'll do no such thing." He glared at her and she elaborated: "I need this Gajeel. I need it to make me strong."

"You don't need to be strong." He skipped over 'you've got me.'

"Gajeel, I get that I make you feel guilty. But that'll wear off. I need to make sure that I'm self-sufficient."

"Self-sufficient?" He said incredulously. Consciously ignoring the assumption she made about his protectiveness being motivated by guilt. "You're a bloody powerful little shrimp! You don't need to go off to some 'big library' to get strong."

"I do Gajeel, and you can't stop me." She said this calmly, she would go forth and remain dignified. No more angry outbursts. Did he just say she was powerful?

"And how does a library make you stronger anyway? You gonna be doing reps with the heavy books?" He said this with mocking humour. Her face remained serene.

"Gajeel please. Stop this." She wouldn't give his 'humour' the time of day. "And I just know that this is what I have to do. I feel it in my gut. This is the right path for me." She looked resolute in her decision although he sensed the girls worry. And despite his reservations, his stubbornness and his fear Gajeel couldn't bring himself to deny her what she wanted. Although he wanted to keep her safe, at any cost he knew that as her guild mate he needed to support her decision. That being said however, he couldn't seem to keep his anger under control.

"Whatever, Shrimp." With a growl he turned his back on her. Although he made no move to leave. The library was quiet and still for a moment.

"I'll miss you though..." She admitted softly, he remained still but seemed to have stopped breathing. This time it was her turn to do something both of them would feel awkward about. She walked over to him and gently, perhaps bravely, pulled his bicep so that he would turn to face her, then without looking at his face she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. The shivers she'd felt before returned, he was so warm she almost didn't want to let go, but she had to considering he seemed to have frozen. She remained there for a few moments longer and then finally released him. He patted her on the head.

Gajeel was shocked when he felt her small hand on his arm, silently asking him to face her. He complied immediately and thought she was going to slap him for some reason but she didn't. Instead, without even looking at him she had wrapped her arms around his torso. He stared down at the top of her blue head, she had pressed herself right up against him and he desperately wanted to hold her again. But he just stood there, arms slightly raised with a neutral expression. Inside his mind was chaos, however. If she was going to leave him, then he couldn't let himself be drawn into this. He didn't even know where this library was. As she unwrapped her hands, he was torn from his thoughts and for some reason he patted the top of her head. Levy breathed out a laugh and a smile appeared on her face.

The pat on her head, though it should have bothered her, was more than enough of a gesture from him. When she finally looked up at his face and to her twisted joy saw the neutral mask, she knew that he would miss her too.

Gajeel sighed deeply. He wanted her to leave on good terms with him. So he decided that he should leave now instead of running the risk of them getting into another argument.

"Well, good luck Shrimp. I'll tell Lily to come see you." He paused for a moment after he had turned his back and begun to walk away. "When're you leaving?"

"Tomorrow." She said simply.

No time to convince her to let him go with her then. This was it.

"Later, Levy." He was at the top of the stairs now and he looked back at her. There was something in his face that made her breathless. She wanted more than anything to call him back to her. But she let him disappear.

"Bye, Gajeel." This was all she could say to him.

**Thank you for reading!**

**Long live GaLe!**


	4. Opening Part 4:The Girl and the Guardian

**A/N: **

**Heigh ho!**

**This is the second last part of the opening! We're almost to Brigadoon. I can't wait!**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading!**

**(Also, thank you so much for my very first 2 reviews! I hope it doesn't sound silly but I wanted to acknowledge it because it made me smile!)**

**The Girl and the Guardian**

The sea was rough and wild as Levy approached the island on the rickety little boat she had hired. Though the small blunette remained in the cabin and was kept out of the wind and the crashing waves, she was thrown about mercilessly as the boat rocked back and forth. She had to hush her yelps of pain as she collided with the walls and furniture – she didn't want to distract the captain again. He'd actually left his wheel twice to check on her and they'd nearly lost their way. He wasn't the sharpest gentlemen she'd met. Just as she picked herself off the ground, rubbing her head where it had slammed into a side board the boat came to a dramatic halt and knocked her off her feet again. With comically terrific timing it seemed she had arrived at her destination.

When she emerged from the little cabin and leaned against the doorway her eyes had to adjust to darkness. The captain, with his silly little hat and pot belly, smiled vacantly at her and nodded towards the edge of the boat where he appeared to have crashed into the pier. This seemed to be marked as success by him as he whistled a merry tune and tied the boat up to one of the boards that stuck up jaggedly in the air. Levy sighed, letting her tired and heavy eyes trailed along the dark wood planks and then up a cobbled pathway cut into the side of a grassy hill. The chill in the air made the hairs on her arms stand on end. She felt alone. And when she finally saw the giant building reaching past the clouds in the sky, she felt small. What the hell had she gotten herself into?

"That's Northern Phoenix Miss McGarden, can you see it?" Came the cheery squeak of the old captain.

"It's hard to miss Mr Hakoshi. I wasn't expecting…" She trailed off and took in the sight of the grey bricks. There were no windows that she could see. And no door. Just bricks and more bricks that formed a huge square based fortress.

"It is big. But Master Falcon needs the space. There's a lot of books you see." His eye's creased at the corners as he laughed heartily. Levy breathed out a small laugh in return.

"I guess I'm just worried, I've never been on my own before. Or not for a long time anyway. It's not a nice feeling you know?" The little man nodded bouncing about the deck, being busy.

"I do youngster, there's many a time I've felt lonely at sea. But knowing I've got my husband Phillip back home, that's what keeps me going." Levy tilted her head to the side and smiled sweetly at him.

"That's good." She giggled when he stumbled over some rope and he joined her laughter after he steadied himself, glancing sideways to where Levy begun to stare off into the distance.

"Doesn't a nice girl like you have someone to go home to?" His thick grey eyebrows were raised good naturedly but she didn't look. Her mind drifted back to this morning at the train station instead.

_The dawn was breaking over Magnolia as a cold night became a warm morning. Light crept slowly through the city streets as people in town milled around preparing for the day ahead. Shop doors were flung open and stalls were beginning to be set up but the residents paused to take note of a band of Fairies, all gathered around a little blunette who was headed in the direction of the train station. Some were yelling, some were sobbing, some remained stern but they all surrounded her when she made it to the platform, her heavy looking satchel slung over her shoulder and her worn leather suitcase in her hand which she set down beside her. The crowd that had gathered flustered he, she hadn't anticipated a reaction such as this. It's seemed most of her fellow guild mates had something to say about her leaving._

_"Guys, I told you to stay at the Guild! Haven't you all got jobs to get on with?" Levy yelled over the chaos of her guild mates._

_"Levy! Why didn't you tell me?" Jet had sunk down to his knees in front of her and Droy followed suit, grasping at her ankles and weeping._

_"D-don't do that!" Her eyes shifted back and forth and she clutched her skirt, embarrassed by their behaviour. "Please!"_

_"But why can't we come with you Levy?" _

_"You just can't!" She was becoming exasperated and the train was probably only 15 minutes away. She needed a moment. How could she deal with herself going away if they all needed coached through it as well._

_"Juvia does not understand why you must go so far away." Said the water mage solemnly with tears falling gently from her eyes. Levy felt terrible, she hadn't realised Juvia even thought of her as a friend worth crying over. _

_She knew that her guild mates liked her right enough, but they looked so distraught, each in their own way of course._

_She took stock of all who had showed up to see her off and looked upon them all in wonder._

_There was obviously her beloved Jet and Droy, still at her feet, wrapped up in their sorrow. _

_She could see Erza standing, stiff upper lip, beside Wendy who clutched her small white exceed to her chest near edge of the crowd. Wendy was much like Juvia in that she was crying but the small girl kept quiet, trying not to bombard Levy. Erza had wrapped a free arm around the girls shoulder and held her sword in the other. When she saw the blunette looking over, the red head nodded to her. And it said everything she needed to know. Be good, be safe and be brave._

_To her left side: The Stauss siblings simply waited serenely, the word 'man' wasn't muttered once. Romeo, Wakaba and Macao stood together as well with the two older mages yelling at one another over who would peel Jet and Droy from the girl's feet. This made her giggle but she burst out laughing when Asuka-chan piped up, much to Bisca and Alzacks horror:_

_"Mommy! Daddy! Jet and Droy are kissing Levy's feet!" The youngster danced spun once and made a run to join in, but luckily Alzack caught her by the back of the dress and hauled her back. Levy paused. She looked for him but he was nowhere._

_ Pantherlily, in battle form, stood to her right along with Lulu, Natsu, Happy, Grey, Juvia, Max, Warren, Laki and Reedus. This side were all shouting at her._

_"I want you to stay Levy!"_

_"Yeah Lev, it won't be the same without you around."_

_"Who'll keep the big guy from murdering everyone?"_

_"Will we be able to call you, or write?"_

_"Remember what I told you, go for the Jugular. Or the eye. They always work!"_

_"Will you bring back Fish?"_

_"What's going on? Why are we at the train station?"_

_"Levy?"_

_"Levy!"_

_"LEVY!"_

_"Settle, brats!" Silence fell over the crowd of Fairy Tail Wizards who stood gaping at their Master, who appeared in front of the girl and kicked away Jet and Droy who were now in the clutches of demon-Mira. _

_"Are you well, my dear?" Said Master Makarov with the kind of calmness that could chase away a headache. Levy's eyes went wide and she looked around once more. Her lip began to tremble as she took in the scene in front of her. When the crowd of erupted again, Levy began to stumble backwards, tears spilling over. She wasn't supposed to be sad. This was supposed to be a great adventure. But now, seeing all this, feeling all this love and affection from her guild members – she wanted to stay. _

_But she couldn't. She would get strong, no matter the cost. She would follow the path she felt was right both in spite of her fear and for her fear. She would heal herself. But it would be so damned hard to leave now!_

_She was sure she would be nearing the edge of the platform soon, falling on to the rails would not be funny at this particular time, but instead of falling she backed into something and spun round wildly, her tears flowing freely from her eyes. She looked up and saw red eyes._

_"Hey Shrimp." He had come to see her._

_"Gajeel." She breathed in. "I didn't think…"_

_"Me either short stuff." He looked beyond her to the rest of the group who were watching them in bewildered silence, although Mira looked like she was about to explode with happiness, and he raised his pierced eyebrows. "Quite the turn out, eh?"_

_"It is! I just didn't realise…" She spun back towards everyone, her eyes shining. "I didn't realise you all cared so much. It really means the world to me that you're all here…" She clasped her hands together and a chorus of awe's almost drowned out the sound of the train nearing the platform. _

_Panic quickly gripped her, there wasn't enough time! She rushed forward and started grabbing everyone for a hug. She gave especially long ones to Lucy, Wendy, Juvia, Erza, Asuka (who was adamant about not letting go), Pantherlily, Jet and Droy. She even managed to grab the master who merely guaffed good naturedly and tilted his head towards her leather case that she had set down earlier._

_"Now Levy," began the Master, "The rest of your belongings will be there when you arrive." The girl nodded and glanced over her shoulder as she picked up her case. She still had a large trunk and 2 boxes of books to receive, but the master had arranged for them to be collected and brought to the library for her. Why did it have to be now that they all decided to be so kind to her? _

_"Thank you, Master. For everything." Levy turned once more to Gajeel, the train doors were open now, but she wanted to say something to him. She bit her lip and he studied her for a moment before launching towards her and making as if he were going to hug her again. But he caught himself quickly and stopped in his tracks just inches away from her - conscious of the guilds watching eyes. He patted her head and she laughed._

_"I'll be seeing you Shrimp." He chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest which he puffed out. "Now get going." _

_"Yeah well, don't you even think about following me Redfox..." He growled and she stuck her tongue out whilst she moved away from everyone, hopping up onto the train and standing in the doorway. "Erza, make sure he doesn't!" She laughed heartily as Erza lifted her sword in a sort of salute and the rest of the guild joined in - save for Gajeel who just smirked and shook his head._

_Once again, Levy looked upon the people who had kindly gathered to see her off. They all looked so happy, standing in the sunlight. They looked like a proper family. She could see that Natsu had wrapped his arms around Lucy, much to her delight as the blonde waved manically. They looked a picture as he held her close to him, the moron probably didn't even understand his feelings. But time would help with that. Perhaps even Grey would come round to his feeling for the delight that was dear Juvia. Although, judging by the way he grasped her hand to ease her crying, it appeared that this was already coming to fruition._

_She couldn't help but drift back to Gajeel, he was standing on his own close to the train. That look was in his eyes again and it made her heart race. She could look into those eyes forever._

_The train door jolted closed with a thud which served to shock her. Too quickly she was whisked away from such a wonderful moment. She took a seat by the window, placed her leather case on her knee and looked around noting that she was the only one in this carriage. The countryside rushed by her in silence. She had yet to reach the library and she already wanted to get off and go back. She didn't want to be alone._

The words of the Captain had been wise indeed. Now that Levy had gained perspective, she was able to confidently march towards the humongous stone tower lacking any sort of entrance swinging her leather case by her side. She must have been a quite a sight after a full days travelling.

As she drew closer to the wall she noticed something. A slight shimmer running through the air indicated to her that there was magic her. Rune magic. And if it was a wall around a place such as this it would surely be dangerous. She looked about her, back to the destroyed bridge where Captain Hakoshi's ship was disappearing and up to the sky where the top of library seemed to disappear also. The island she stood on was tiny, it was only slightly bigger than the base area of the building she couldn't seem to get near. She just stood around helplessly. This didn't seem like it was a good start.

"I'll just have to rewrite these then…" She huffed and got down onto her knees on the damp grass.

It took a long time, at least an hour, but she managed to rewrite the rune's and allow herself passage past the barrier. The scary thing was, had she not rewritten it, all her hair would have fallen out had she tried to pass through. It seemed unnecessary and somewhat childish. It made her wonder who had put the trap in place.

The night time brought the cold with it and though the girl had bundled up with what she had brought with her on the train and boat, it was not enough to keep the chill away. She had even walked right around the building and still could not see any doors or windows. How miserable, she thought, her entire body shaking. Her teeth chattered so much that even if she had someone to talk to it would be difficult, she was also sure that her face must be as blue as her hair. Sighing deeply, her mind conjured up and image of Levy's friends on the platform today. How they'd all looked waving goodbye. She smiled to herself and picked at the grass. If Gajeel was here then - what? She stopped herself from continuing that one. She should try to avoid weak thoughts, she'd deal with this on her own.

With that in mind she stood up and decided that she could perhaps 'feel around' for some sort of secret door. Or perhaps she should just call out into the darkness for someone to come and get her. She ran her hands against the grey brickwork, caressing it like one of the spines on her books. Nothing. She let her head hang and braced herself against the wall with two hands.

"Please let me in?" She whispered to the wall politely, laughing inwardly.

Just as she began to wonder how she would get herself home, a great rumbling that shook the ground began and without warning Levy felt herself being sucked through the brickwork. She pulled backwards, trying to escape, but the wall wouldn't stop absorbing her. With a yelp, she closed her eyes and let herself be taken.

The blunette could actually feel herself moving through the thick stone of the wall, it was imbued with something magical as well. It was as if she had become a body of water, passing through the sand. It was quite an experience, almost freeing but finally she seemed to break through, or leak through…

Her arms formed first, she held them out in front of her. Then the top of her head and her body broke through and she gasped, barely able to take in the sight of the room before her legs were freed and she fell over. What was with today and not being able to stay on her feet?

"Eugh!" Her face was squished against the floor.

"Finally my dear!" Came a squawk like voice from high above her. Levy struggled to her feet and looked around.

She was in an absolutely huge room, covered wall to wall in shelves of books. It was nothing like shed ever seen before. She gasped as she spun around.

"Oh my, Mavis!" In front of Levy there were two staffs that stretched above her head. She followed them up with her eyes and finally landed on a tiny looking man who was using them as stilts. He was all the way up through a large hole in the ceiling which was far away to begin with.

"Welcome, welcome!" He called downwards and then in a puff of smoke he and his stilts had disappeared. Levy glanced around in awe to see where he had gone. She felt a tap on the back of her shoulder and turned quickly. A little man with kind eyes and a beak like nose smiled at her. "Levy McGarden I presume." His voice kept its bird like quality.

"Yes, um… I'm Levy. Nice to meet you." She smiled brightly, slightly confused. The little bird man all but sprinted past her.

"Good, good! Shall we get you settled in? If you are to protect my library then we must get your blood right away." Levy's eyes widened. Blood? She turned again to chase after him when she heard a swooshing sound from above her head. Looking up she saw a woman speeding towards the ground which would have been a worry, had she not the largest and most beautiful wings attached to her body that Levy had ever seen.

She glided to the opening in the wall the little man had been running towards and let her wings fall, Levy could only gaze in awe at the beautiful woman. The wings looked to be copper in colour and the soft feathers touched the floor where she stood. She donned a dress the same colour as her feathers that complimented her dark, almost completely black skin and her inky hair cascaded down to her waist. She looked flawless, unearthly. But it was her eyes that made Levy go weak at the knees. They were pure red.

"Grandfather. Calm yourself, you're scaring the girl." Unlike her grandfather, the woman's voice was soothing and low but the way her eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled at him made her look just as kind. "I apologise, Levy. Would you please follow me?"

The blunette nodded almost vacantly, caught up in the consuming presence of the winged woman, and rushed after her when she disappeared through the large archway. It was the only space that was not covered in books in this huge room. The grandfather nodded as she walked past him and winked at her knowingly.

The room she had just walked into, from what she could see, was like an office. There was a grand looking desk with a large ornate chair behind it and more shelves of books as well as a fireplace with the flames roaring and crackling. The floor bothered levy although. It was clear and looking down she thought she could see… The room she had just come from. She could tell because the Grandfather was waving up at her. She turned round to look back through the doorway, but it was gone. Now she could see no doorways or arches. Just wall to wall books.

"What's going on?" Cried Levy, she was tired and confused. And this was getting too much. She looked towards the woman, who had taken a seat behind the desk, and saw that she was smiling brightly in amusement.

"Won't you first sit down, dear girl. You've travelled long and far today." She motioned to one of the chairs that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Levy listened to her and sat down. The comfort was welcome and she sank into the soft fabric, breathing deeply.

"Thank you, um, what's your name?" She hoped that wasn't rude. The woman's eyes sparkled with an almost mischevious humour.

"I am Hebe. Guardian of the Great Library of the Northern Phoenix." Her eyes shifted to Levys right. "And this is my Grandfather, Master Falcon."

"Hello again!" Levy's head shot right and sure enough there he was, beaky nose and all. She looked down once more. The glass floor was gone replaced with a rich looking carpet.

"I don't mean to sound idiotic, but why is everything so…"

"Confusing?" Finished Hebe, her mouth curled upwards. "It's my fault dear Levy. As guardian of the Library the very building, everything in it, bends to my will." She locked eyes with the blunette who had a look of understanding on her face.

"You can manipulate the building… Spacial magic?" Levy queried excitedly. She looked around again and found herself, now standing, in a different room with Hebe and Master Falcon.

"You're exactly right." Hebe nodded and smiled at her grandfather. "Didn't I tell you she'd be the one?"

"Silly child. I do believe I told you." He chortled as the girl rolled her ruby eyes. "I told you that the –"

"You did not, Bird Brain…" Her breathy laugh, along with the red eyes made Levy's head spin. What the hell was going on?

"How DARE you insult your grandfather in such a manner young lady!" He screeched, clearly 'bird brain' was a sore spot for the tiny man. His stilts appeared again as he made himself taller and began to shake his finger at the girl.

"See you later, Grandfather!" Hebe laughed joyously and just as it appeared he was about to launch into telling her off, the room shifted again. Except this time where they moved to was dark. It seemed like they were back in the office area, but the lack of light and the absence of the flames of the fire obscured everything. The only light Levy could see came from below her, where the glass floor allowed her do look down for seemingly miles and miles and miles – instead of just into one room. Every floor that stretched downwards she could see into due to the fact that their floors had either turned to glass or disappeared altogether. How could a place like this exist? And how could Levy, tiny and wingless ever hope to be able to protect it. She could only imagine the number of books that resided here.

"How?" Breathed Levy, she was at a loss for questions. She didn't know where to begin. Hebe laughed.

"Magic. Just plain old magic. You'll understand soon enough…" The girl reached out and took Levy's hand. "I just wanted to show you everything first. Before I went into any details. You see my Grandfather and I have been searching for the right fit…"

"And that's me?" Levy glanced down at their clasped hands and then back up to her face and those red eyes.

"I think so… I mean you beat the rune barrier, you managed to sweet talk me into letting you in." Hebe giggled. "And I can sense that your heart and mind will allow you to serve the library well in my absence."

"Why? You're not dying are you?" Levy rushed out and then gasped at her idiocy. The woman merely smiled.

"No dear girl, I'm just leaving for a while. It's been so long since I last spent time away from this place… I just need a break. A chance to travel and wander freely. To open my wings and soar in the open sky. But before I go I must ensure that my library will be safe." She led Levy over to the fireplace and pulled her into a kneeling position. "You do not know how many wizards have come before you, I posted that job request in many guild halls… But even with the many who came none were suitable."

"Why not?" Levy asked the girl who had picked up the ashes in the fireplace with her freehand.

"Their minds were not strong enough. They would have been unable to handle the transfer of power. But I can sense you are more than capable. You will excel in this place!"

"Again, I don't mean to sound like an idiot… But excel at what?" Hebe had turned Levy's palm up and using the ashes, drew a curving symbol with her delicate finger.

"I will transfer my binding with the Library to you Levy. You will receive all of my powers and become the temporary Guardian. As long as you are alive, the library will be protected. No one may enter or leave without your say so and you will be connected to every page and brick, even the very air inside the building." Hebe's eyes burned brightly in the darkness as Levy took it all in. All she needed to do was stay alive and decide who had a good enough reason to get inside. She imagined, with all the knowledge that lived within these walls that there must be danger involved, but she could not find it within herself to care. This was a dream come true.

"I just can't believe you would trust me with this… What about your grandfather?" Hebe giggled at the idea.

"I love him, but his power is not great enough to protect this place. And his mind is certainly not strong enough for the transfer. I call him bird brain for a reason you know." Levy eyed the symbol on her hand that the dark haired beauty had let go of. "Will you do it then, dear girl? I would leave as soon as the sun rose tomorrow and would be back in exactly 365 days' time. No more, but no less." Levy almost blurted out a 'hell yeah' but it caught in her throat. She thought back to her friends. Could she really stand to be away from them for so long?

"I'm sorry, this is just a lot to take in… Of course I will look after the library for you. You deserve to fly free." Tears welled up in the girls eyes.

"Thank you! Thank you so much dear girl, you have no idea how much this means to me." With that, she leaned forward and kissed Levy softly and sweetly on the forehead. The symbol on her hand burned and disappeared.

The solid script mages body felt completely electrified. She could feel every part of herself, from the tips of her toes to the ends of her spiky blue hair and that feeling grew. Instead of just conscious awareness of her body she began to fell more. She felt where Master Falcon, who was on his stilts 7 floors down, walked around as clearly as if he were stepping on her back. She could feel where Hebe knelt beside her. Every little shape of the girl in the room. She could even feel the shapes of the titles on the books. All of them. And she could feel exactly what Hebe meant about deciding who to let in or out. It was if the Library had possessed her as well. Only the true and just should be able to pass through these walls. Only those who deserved to use this knowledge should be allowed to pass through her. The electricity buzzed to a climax and then released her in a rush.

Levy jumped up and gasped, the shock faded and now she just felt calmness and serenity.

"I feel it. I feel everything…"

"Amazing, isn't it?" The girl's wings rose up off the ground and she grinned at Levy whose face was red from the intensity of the feeling. Hebe looked the same, although suddenly her eyes rolled back in her head. Levy was about to panic. "You must know, Levy, the time will pass quickly. You will barely have time to miss your friends. Feel free to use this place to heal yourself in the time being." Levy's brows shot up in surprise.

"How did you do that?" She asked.

"It's a side effect of the transfer, I get a glimpse into your mind. You are a very good person, Levy McGarden. You have no idea how truly cared for you are. How you are desired" Levy blushed slightly and was aware that Hebes' tone was huskier than before, she took a step towards the small blunette.

"D- desires?" She squeaked and looked up towards the woman whose eyes darted about, as if she was seeing something else in front of her.

"Whilst your innocence is overpowering, some of those memories are just undeniably delicious. My oh my, you can be such a temptation." Hebes eyes were still now, and had visibly darkened, they looked just like Gajeels had that night in the pool room. Now she understood however. With her new power she could feel what Hebe felt was feeling. Pure, unadulterated lust.

"Hebe." Levy said simply, standing deadly still. She must have been seeing Levy's memory of her encounter with the iron dragon slayer.

"Sorry Levy!" Like that she shook her head and shifted again into her sweet self. She hopped backwards to give Levy some room, although she was visibly affected. "Would you like to go to your room and rest?"

"I think I will, Hebe. It was nice to meet you." The winged woman nodded and Levy consciously made sure the library knew that she could pass freely, wherever she wanted. "You won't be here when I wake up will you?" The girl shook her head.

"I won't be… And I just want to say thank you. And also, please make sure Grandfather doesn't get into too much trouble." With that the girl took off, soaring downwards through the library. Levy nodded and smiled. She could feel where Hebe flew and she still couldn't believe it. So much power and the winged woman had just given it away.

Levy allowed herself to move to the room. She did not need to be shown as with her new connection to the library she just seemed to know how to get there.

It was quite a small room containing a simple bed, fireplace, wardrobe and all of her luggage, including the leather case and bag she thought she'd left outside. It filled her with warmth to know that as of tomorrow, she would be able to start her campaign of strength with everything she needed at her fingertips. And that she would then be a day closer to going home.

She was also for some reason stuck upon her new knowledge that Gajeel had not simply been cruel to her that night in the pool room for no reason. It had been because he was attracted to her. That was definitely something she could use against him in the future!

She lay down on the bed, fully clothed and drifted off from pure exhaustion. She would explore her future tomorrow but tonight she would dream of her past.

**(Disclaimer: I haven't edited this one properly, so forgive me for the mistakes there surely must be! I'll go back and edit later. Right now I'm trying to balance exams, essays and this! So sacrifices have to be made!)**

**Thank you for reading! **


	5. Opening Part 5: Dawn After Dawn

**A/N: Heigh ho lovely reader! We're finally onto the last section of opening part! Yay!**

**Opening Part 5: Dawn after Dawn**

Day 1:

Levy spent her day unpacking and practicing using her new influence over the Library. She had taken to her role with ease.

In the afternoon she had given entrance to a wandering wizard in who traveled from far away to research a curse plaguing his village. When he had called out to the library, requesting to enter Levy had heard him. She's also somehow felt that his intentions were true.

Master Falcon had spent the day with the wizard and although Levy was not with them, she was still able to guide them to the books they would need. When the wizard had found all the information he needed, Levy had allowed him to leave, creating an archway in the room he stood in that lead outside. The man thanked Master Falcon for all his help, this made Levy giggle.

Master Falcon seemed to be the figurehead of this little operation. Everyone though it was he who had some kind of mystical connection to the library, but in reality he was just a kind old man who couldn't even cook breakfast without disaster. She knew this because she'd had to put out a fire he'd started this morning. She understood what Hebe meant by making sure he stayed out of trouble but Levy didn't mind. It was probably better if nobody knew the truth about the Guardians role in the Library. It could make them, or her for the time being, a target. Though she felt her fear begin to creep forth she was comforted by the fact that no one could pass into the Library without her permission. She knew, however, that her comfort came from the power she wielded. And that was only temporary

With that at the forefront of her mind she decided to begin researching. Using Hebes powers she sought out a useful section on the seventh floor, all about solid script magic. There were hundreds of books she could read but instead of going alphabetically as she would usually do she attempted to 'feel' which book would be most useful to her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, allowing her mind to take hold of the building. The power she wielded consumed the pages and curled around the book titles until she narrowed her once mountainous reading list to 5 books.

"How's your first day been Levy? You did well with helping that wizard today." Master Falcon squawked kindly when he found her, sitting cross legged on the floor. She looked up to him and smiled brightly

"Thank you Master Falcon! And it's been interesting. I've never felt anything like this power before. It's really something else." He was smiling and nodding thoughtfully for a while.

"I want to thank you Levy, after so many unsuitable wizards came along my Grandaughter and I were worried she would be unable to leave. We couldn't find anybody strong enough to protect this place, and I'm too old now to be very useful... You've no idea how important this was to her. And to the library as well "Levy's breath caught when she saw the old man's teary eyes and runny nose. He looked as if he might burst and he was making small squawking noises with his throat.

"Oh, please don't be upset... I'm happy to do this for you both, and I'm so glad I've got you here with me." Still with her book in hand she jumped up and ran over to where the Master Falcon was basically falling apart. She engulfed him in a hug which seemed to pull him together slightly. He sniffed and shook his head. "You're the heart and soul of this place aren't you... You spent all day with that man so he could save his village." Levy realised as she looked at him, that he wasn't useless at all. Despite a mild case of the clumsies and a laughable accent, his compassion and caring nature was clear to her now - she felt terrible for thinking less of him. What a horrible thing she had done.

"Don't be silly Levy... Anyway my dear! What are you doing in this section?" He peered down at the book she held and Levy handed it to him. He took the book and turned it over to read the title, careful not to lose her page. The trademark of a fellow bookworm.

"I'm just trying to see if I can find a way to develop my magic..." She looked at her toes, the fear creeping back into her body.

"Would you like some help?" Master Falcon offered.

"You would help me, Master Falcon?" Levy was touched by his offer, especially since he had only just met her.

"Of course, of course! And stop with this master business, call me Grandfather." He laughed in his bird-like way and Levy joined in, delighted at the prospect of a new friend and mentor.

Day 8:

"That's it Levy, balance is the key..." Master Falcon shouted up to the girl who had, mistakenly it seemed, agreed to try out the magic stilts. "Relax child!" He squawked as she nearly toppled over for the second time.

"I think I want to come down now Grandfather. I'm not so sure this will help with my – ah!" She nearly toppled over. "I don't think this is going to help conquer anything! I'm just going to end up with a flat face!" Her legs shook tremendously and she was in a great deal of pain, but he had yet to tell her how to get down.

"Don't fret my dear, I've fallen many times before and look at how pointy my nose has stayed." He tapped upon it for affect and danced on the spot mischeviously. So he was getting her back for earlier when she had called him beaky, how rude.

"I already apologised for that! And besides, you said I looked like a little boy!"

"I did not!" He replied haughtily, clicking his fingers. The stilts disappeared in a puff of smoke and suddenly Levy was falling through the air. She began screaming. "I simply said I had always wanted a Grandson... Now come on dear, like we practiced!"

"Solid Script: NET!" Levy yelled, just barely managing to complete the hand formation before she would have to use Hebe's powers to remove the floor. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut but fortunately the word 'NET' had appeared, criss-crossing to catch her. She had saved herself with her own magic! "Yes!" She sat up and her fist shot up into the air.

"Good boy!" Master Falcon nodded as she jumped down. She rolled her eyes at the old man.

"You know what, you can call me a little boy all you want Grandfather, cause I never could have done that without you!" Levy was busy doing a little happy jig, something she may or may not of picked up from the Master.

"What did I tell you? The only way to achieve true strength is by pushing yourself to the absolute limits of your fear. Falling from such a height could have paralysed you, but you coped amazingly well. I'm so proud of you!" He beamed at the girl who was making such progress. She really was doing well, but when they were not training he could tell that she was beginning to pine for her friends. Although he could keep her busy during the day he knew the nights must be long and sad.

"Well, what's next then?" She tied her hair back in anticipation of another physical challenge. That one had ended up being fun.

"Well, you _should_ rest my dear. But I don't think you will..." He pursed his lips and was deep in thought for a moment. "Why don't you have a look at the section we have on meditation. I've always found those books to be filled with fantastic training techniques. And try rummaging through the section on dreams, I think there might be a few books on using them in training too. Perhaps you'd find that kind of training useful. Especially if you're trying to work through your lack of control..." Levy was amazed yet again by him. He was so good with her, the perfect teacher.

"I'll do that Grandfather! But why don't we have dinner first?" She giggled as his pondering expression contorted in horror. He held out his hands in front of him.

"Not again Levy. I'm not hungry!" Levy tried to keep a serious face, she had been giving the older gentlemen cooking lessons in exchange for his assistance but he seemed to be almost beyond help. She supposed she was a little hard on him too...

"What if I cooked for us tonight, would you be hungry then?" She grinned and they were suddenly standing in the kitchen. Hebe's powers were incredibly efficient.

"Thank you, Levy." Master Falcon sighed in relief. Spared another lesson. "Can we have fish again?"

"You know, you remind me of someone from back home..."

Day 33:

Levy sat, cross legged, on her bed with her back straight and her eyes closed. Whilst Master Falcon busied himself with 2 wizards who had arrived earlier in the day, she had decided to meditate and then cast a dream spell she had found in an old book.

It had been a month since she'd left her friends back in Magnolia and she was missing them terribly, all she could do to cope was attempt distract herself but it was getting difficult. And she had not been able to get in touch with those back home thanks to her forgetfulness.

Two days earlier she had searched her trunk for the communication Lacrima she thought she packed and found that it was missing. She'd nearly had a breakdown but Master Falcon had managed to calm her down with the promise of sending a letter to the guild to have it sent to the library. The letter would surely take a while, but Master Makarov could have the object to her within a day. Then she would contact Lulu immediately.

Focusing on keeping her breathing steady, she began reciting the words of the spell. The book it had come from was written in an ancient language, so it had taken her some time to interpret it. From what she could tell, the spell would allow her to conjure up something from her dreams that scared her. And although the dreams could hurt her: they couldn't kill her. So it seemed like it would be a useful training tool, just enough danger for it to be effective. She just hoped she wouldn't have to kill anything. She loathed killing.

"Gaia, Luna, Vertisibo. Gaia, Luna, Vertisibo. Gaia, Luna, Vertisibo. Levy McGarden." She whispered into the dim room. A sudden dizziness came over her as she felt the air being sucked from her lungs. What had she done? She fell back on the bed with an almighty thump and she seemed to spin out of consciousness for a moment.

When Levy finally came round, her eyes fluttering open she sat up and slow blinked. Her heart thudded in her chest and she leaned up on her elbows. She was still in her room. She must have recited the spell wrong - the rhythm had to be perfect for it to work and she hadn't been assaulted yet. She puffed out her cheeks, relieved. When that dizziness had come over her she'd sort of chickened out. Not knowing what to do next, she thought she would go grab something to eat. Comfort food would stop her missing her friends!

She moved sluggishly and swung her legs off the side of the bed, rubbing her eyes. She suddenly heard the unwelcome sound of breathing that was not her own. Her hands fell onto her lap and she froze. She then spotted movement in the corner of her room and she peered into the darkness to see a huge, shadowy figure. A recognisable one. She shrieked when she realised.

"Evening, Shrimp." His course voice permeated the darkness and she gawked at him. She could see the way he smiled crookedly at her and her head spun. What the hell was going on? She was stunned into silence.

"G-Gajeel?" She finally breathed out.

"You expecting someone else?" He growled and began stalking towards her, his ruby eyes stood out from the darkness. He looked like a predator, moving as if he expected his prey to take off. Readying himself to make chase.

"Of course not! I wasn't expecting anyone - let alone you- to be in my room! What are you doing here?" She stood up quickly and tried to back away but she was trapped by her bed and the wall. She coughed a little when he stopped just in front of her tiny body, looking down at her. It made her feel ten times smaller when he looked at her that way. But it did something else as well.

"Good. And you forgot this." He held up her communication lacrima, it seemed to appear from thin air in his hand. She immediately reached out to grab it, but he held it up above his head.

"No way - I'm not going to jump for it Gajeel..." She folded her arms in front of her and scowled, her brow creasing. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness now so she could see the mocking expression on his face with utter clarity.

"Fine then." He smirked and tossed it into her open trunk, he took another step towards her and she in turn took another step backwards - but now she found herself lodged between the bedroom wall and his body. Which was basically a wall too. She gulped and stared up at him, wide eyed. "Ain't I getting a thank you Shrimp?" He brought his face down close to hers.

"Yeah, sorry. Thank you Gajeel, I just don't understand why you're here." She couldn't put her finger on it – but something was amiss. She shrunk downwards, trying to be small enough for him not to reach her.

"So you're not glad to see me?" His question was laced, his expression dark. Levy shook her head quickly. She was just glad she was finally getting to talk to one of her Guild Mates.

"Of course I am..." She said slowly as he rested his hands on either side of her head. She wanted to believe he was here with her but how had he gotten into the library? She hadn't sensed anyone outside and she knew she would have wakened up if someone needed let in. She had to consciously allow them to enter. "How did you-" She was cut off as without warning he grasped her shoulders roughly and threw her onto the bed. The shock had silenced her and she could only stare at the dragon slayer as he crawled above her, putting his hands beside her face again and kneeling over her tiny body, effectively caging her in.

"Me too." His voice was husky though it still retained its roguish quality, she felt her heart beginning to thump as a blush coloured her cheeks. She turned her face away from him to avoid the way he was looking at her. All she wanted to do was run her hands along every inch of him when he stared at her that way, but she couldn't. Something wasn't right.

"Gajeel, what are you doing?" She attempted to move out from under him but his large hands found her wrists, yanking then above her head. She tried to struggle free but it was in vain, he was too strong. "Get off me, iron breath!" She yelled at him, meeting his eyes with a furious expression as she squirmed.

"Don't you get it Shrimp?" He yelled back."I can't stand it anymore!" A low growl came from the back of his throat, as if he were in pain. It sent shivers up her body and she stilled. Her lips parted in awe when she caught a glimpse of his tortured expression. Something about it was incredibly attractive, despite how wrong that sounded to her.

"What do you need?" It tumbled out her mouth before she'd really thought it through and she realised that her voice sounded strange. The Dragon Slayer was quiet for a moment.

"I need you." He spat this out venomously, as if it burned. He released Levy's wrists quickly and moved his hands to rest by her waist now. She felt exhilarated. His torment seemed to have the ability to turn her into a quivering mess. She felt his long black hair tumble onto her stomach as he hung his head, ashamed at his admission. She realised then, with minor embarrassment that she was only wearing the silky silver kimono Lucy had gifted her, meaning there was only a very thin layer of fabric between her and the brute. Although he was still wearing that positively sinful leather vest, but that almost seemed like his second skin.

She lay still for a moment, deciding how to proceed in this current predicament. A controversial answer came to her. Give in to temptation.

"Gajeel..." She very nearly slurred, drunk with desire and was shocked again by the tone of her own voice. She reached out and caressed the side of his face, running her thumb over his eyebrow studs. She pulled his down turned face up and saw to her delight as his expression changed upon seeing saw her dreamy one "I need you too."

Now the iron dragon slayer seemed to come back to life.

"I hope you did get stronger Shrimp. Cause I ain't one for being gentle." He growled and hooked one arm underneath the small girl's waist, lifting her whole body off the bed. She gasped and grabbed the fabric of his vest, tugging hard when his lips slammed into hers, kissing her hard and pulling on her bottom lip. Her back arched towards him and he grinned triumphantly against her mouth. Levy thought she was going to have a heart attack when he then hoisted her up. He staightened his back and sat on his heels meaning all Levy could do was wrap her Legs around his waist. Her chest was heaving and she tangled her hands in his hair, deepening the kiss with desperation. She slipped her tongue in his mouth and tugged hard on his hair. He groaned and grasped her thighs hard then bit down on her tongue.

"Ouch!" She cried out, tasting blood.

"If you're gonna pull my hair Shrimp, you better be prepared for the consequences." He almost purred before he hoisted her up a bit further and began working on her neck. The sheer sensory pleasure caused her head to fall back and she couldn't help but moan. Her hands wove themselves into his hair again and with a wicked smile she gave a sharp tug, eliciting a dangerous sounding groan from him. With that he all but tossed her back down onto the bed and climbed over her again. She liked this dark little world she had tumbled into.

He went for her neck again and she wrapped a leg around him arching her back again to get closer. The electricity between them was addictive. Every touch felt explosive. Slower now she felt him push the satin fabric of her kimono off of her shoulder. Though she expected a kiss she ended up crying out when he bit down, his teeth cutting into her skin. Though she knew that he had probably drawn blood she could not find it within herself to be angry. Never before had she felt such pleasure from pain. She returned the favour by dragging her nails down his huge arms. He hissed and she smiled at the marks she'd left.

Her eyes rolled back in her head as she managed to catch his mouth again, delighted by the roughness of his lips against the softness of hers.

"Are you gonna let me have you Shrimp?" Gajeels hands went to the tie on her silky robe. Oh Mavis! The haze in Levy's mind began to clear. She grabbed his hands and he looked at her in confusion. It all became clear to her. This was the dream spell, it had worked after all. She couldn't find it in herself to feel pleased, she mostly just felt panic.

"Shrimp?" Dream Gajeel said. She stared up longingly towards her beautiful fantasy.

"I'm sorry Gajeel, but this isn't real." With that she leaned up and began to kiss his neck, sending his eyes rolling back in his head. Then with lightning speed she managed to flip him onto his back, straddling him and pinning his arms above his head. "I just can't allow myself to need you anymore."

Levy saw Gajeels face cracked, literally. He shattered underneath her. She felt the dizziness again and everything had gone.

Levy collapsed onto the empty bed with her hair ruffled and her blood pumping. She had beaten the illusion - which was good. But she really hadn't anticipated something like that. It was believable that Gajeel had been the embodiment of her fear but to come to her like _that._ Instead of fighting him off in some sort of battle she had to stop _herself_ from letting him... It was too awkward to think about.

She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her head on them, there was a pain in her shoulder that made her groan. She stopped breathing when she remembered the bite. Oh no.

Day 39:

"Levy! Levy! It's here!" Master Falcon was hammering his hand against the blunettes door she was lying tangled up in her sheets, her face smooshed into the pillow and there was drool everywhere, it was disgusting. But as soon as she realised what the old man was shouting about – she all but flew to the door.

"Seriously?" She yanked open the door to see the Master hopping about in front of her holding the communication lacrima aloft. His scrawny arm buckled underneath the weight of the orb he looked as if he might drop it upon his head, Levy clutched her stomach from laughing.

"I think you may need to take it Levy..." He squawked and she caught it from his hands before it fell. "So? Will you call them?" It was quite early in the morning.

"Uh..." Nerves gripped her all of a sudden. "I guess I should."

Levy walked back over to the bed and sat down with Master Falcon's kind eyes watching her from the doorway.

"Call them dear - they'll be missing you." Levy nodded vacantly, focused on the sphere and tapped the top of it

"Okay then..." The girls face broke out into a smile and the Master chuckled as she fiddled with the strange object. He'd never used anything like it before.

"Is it working?" He asked and his ears were suddenly assaulted by a screeching sound coming from the orb. "Is it broken?"

"Lucy?" The blunette breathed, tears shining in her eyes, the screaming had come from the tiny blonde whose face appeared inside the glass. The girl was talking so fast that he couldn't understand how Levy knew what she was saying. "I'm fine! I'm okay, Lulu!" She turned around quickly, "Grandfather, come meet Lucy!"

The old man's heart was filled with joy.

Day 157:

"I think I've got it now Grandfather..." Levy huffed out, sweat dripping down her body as she grasped the edge of one of the book ledges and hauling herself up some more.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing, child?" Master Falcon bit his nails and clutched at the tufts of his white hair that was now sticking up at odd angles. The small blunette had begun scrambling up the wall, using the bookshelves like a climbing frame, and muttering that she _had_ it. What she had, however, he did not know. He was both terrified and amused simultaneously. Though she swung herself from ledge to ledge she had yet to knock a book from its place.

"Of course!" She yelled and before his very eyes, she catapulted herself off the wall, twisting through the air. She was so high up that she might as well have been jumping off a cliff. He began screaming and running around the room!

"Levy! NO!"

"Solid Script: PORTAL. She did a complicated hand movement as adjusted herself so she was falling sideways, one arm was pointed downwards and one upwards as she cut through the air. From each side of her light exploded, the words PORTAL spun quickly forming a vortex.

Master Falcon clicked his fingers and his stilts appeared, he catapulted up with the aim of grabbing her falling body but instead she raced past his gobsmacked face and into the swirling light made by the spell she had cast. He cried out!

But then she fell past him again.

And again.

And again.

"Levy?"

"Look Grandfather! I won't hit the ground!" He looked up as soon as she fell into the light again and saw her fall out of the other vortex further up.

"Amazing..." It truly was. How had she managed something like this?

"SOLID SCRIPT: PORTAL." She moved her hands once more and this time the portal above her disappeared and reappeared on the ground further down. When she fell through the portal once more, instead of falling back down again she appeared to pop up from the one she had created on the floor and land on her backside on the floor with and 'oomph.'

"My goodness, my goodness! Are you hurt dear?" Master Falcon appeared beside her in a puff of smoke and fell to his knees beside her. She stared forward for a moment, but then suddenly burst out laughing manically.

"I did it! It worked!" The old man joined in, his laughter was nervous though. The more the child pushed herself the more likely he was to end up having a heart attack.

"You certainly did... But how?" Levy got to her feet and dusted off her orange dress, holding out her hand to haul him up.

"I just took inspiration from Hebe's powers. You can do something like that with the library floor, as long as you loop back to the room you were in you can fall for hours. That's what I was trying to achieve with my own magic. All I needed to do was push myself." She grinned sideways at Master Falcon who had raised his eyebrows, impressed by her creativity.

"And isn't that what it's all about my dear... Were you drawing energy from the fall to boost your power?" He queried.

"No, I think that kind of thing might be beyond me to be honest. But with all the fitness and meditation I've been doing, I think I may have increased my own power. I've taken ownership of it, more so than before. If that makes sense?" She didn't know if she was saying it right, but she just wanted to let him know that she felt stronger.

"You've come so very far my dear. But I must say, you looked like a spider creeping up the shelves like that." He chuckled and she made a scoffing sound.

"At least I don't have a beak!"

Day 250:

Levy awoke again, on all fours and panting.

Since she'd first cast that dream spell the illusions had continued to plague her. They were more frequent to begin with, dream Gajeel had showed up nearly every night, and she had been relieved when they had eased off.

After a month of uninterrupted sleep she had thought the effects of the spell were over. But if tonights heavy petting session was anything to go by - apparently not.

"I can't believe you found a way to follow me here, Iron Breath..." Levy whispered to herself with her head in her hands.

She crawled back up to the top of her bed and slipped under the covers. She decided that she would call Lu-chan the next afternoon, just to check and see how everyone was getting on.

And to make absolutely certain that Gajeel was still in Magnolia.

Day 342:

"Master Falcon, there's someone waiting to get inside!" Levy could feel someone pounding on the side of the library wall, it was as if they were pounding on the side of her head. She had just finished up with the sparring partner she'd conjured up when she was assaulted with the urgency of the wizard's plea. He had a noble heart and a dire cause, she would allow him entrance.

"Good Evening, boy. How may I assist you?" Master Falcon stood where he usually did, his arms folded over as his face took on a sagely expression. Although, his voice never failed to make Levy giggle.

"I don't have much time, sir! My companion needs help. Help that can only be found here." Levy's brows furrowed slightly, she recognised that voice...

"What do you need?" She could tell by Grandfathers tone that he was deeply concerned.

"My friends been poisoned and I- We were on our way here to do some research and- I didn't know she'd breathed any in!" That voice. The colour drained from Levy's face.

She shifted her position in the Library so that she was above Master and the familiar sounding stranger.

"Well I can certainly help with that. Where is your friend?" Squawked Grandfather kindly, as if trying to sooth the stranger. Levy had made the floor clear and gasped at who she saw standing below her. She'd been right.

"She's outside, I left her on the boat. I don't know how much time she has. She got sick right after we –"

"Jellal?" Levy had appeared suddenly, her eyes wide.

"Levy! What are you doing here?" Jellal almost fell back when he saw the girl. She looked like a different person.

"That's not important! Where's Meredy? I assume it's her out there on the boat?" Levy was all business as she turned to face Master Falcon, who looked upon the two of them with great interest.

"I trust that you know this boy, my dear."

"Yes Grandfather, his name is Jellal. He's- Well he's a long story. But first we must know the condition of the girl." She pointed to an entrance she created in the wall. "Bring her up now. I can't leave the building but the Master will aid you." She spoke directly to Jellal who looked a tad overwhelmed to see her. He needed to calm down, she wasn't that shocking.

"But Levy-" He began to speak but she held up her hand. A girl had been poisoned and he wanted a chat. With Hebe's powers allowing to feel his feet where he stood and more importantly, what was on his shoes she knew they had to act fast.

"Bring her here Jellal. I have work to do." Levy turned tail and seemed to disappear into thin air.

"Take me to your boat please young man. Do you know what kind of poison we are dealing with?" The older gentleman with the beak like nose ushered him through the open passage Levy had created for them.

"It comes from some kind of purple plant, if you inhale the spores you get sick- half a town is dead from it so we came to find some sort of solution. But then Meredy started showing symptoms as soon as we hit the water. I can't let her die!"

"Don't fret youngster, Levy will fix it." The two of them rushed towards the pier where he had docked the boat. He couldn't believe that he'd managed to run into Levy McGarden of all people. What was she even doing here? And how was she going to fix anything?

Day 343:

Levy ran a hand through Meredys damp pink hair. When she'd seen the girl, with her veins popping out and looking green it had confirmed her suspicions. She had been foaming at the mouth and trembling, so there wouldn't have been much time before her heart gave out. She was lucky that Jelllal had arrived when he did, and that he'd had some of the spores still on the bottom of his shoes.

Having been part of the library for so long it was easy to notice these things. Though he had been standing away from Levy, she could almost taste the poison like it was on her tongue. The poison, she was sure, had come from the Flowering Pris Plant. It was a type of ancient magic infused plant which was created to be used as a weapon which could wipe out a whole town in a day. It was rendered useless years ago, however, as it became easy to cure. All you needed to do was open a vein and extract the magic. The spores were harmless when the magic was removed and a simple rune spell had taken care of that.

Meredy became stable thanks to Levy's efforts, her veins had returned to normal and the shaking had ceased completely. Right now she was lying unconscious in Levy's bed, the covers tucked up to her chin, looking peaceful.

"That was something else Levy." Jellal had appeared behind the blunette with Master Falcon trailing in after him.

"You did well, child." He was nodding silently to himself.

"Thank you." She laughed at Jellal who judging by his bewildered expression must clearly have held very low expectations of her. "It's amazing what you read in books." This knowledge of how to save Meredy had actually not come from the library, but was within the pages a book she had brought with her from the Guild.

"No, thank you. If you hadn't known what to do then she would probably have died. I just had no idea how to help her, or the people back in town." She could see it in his eyes how truly grateful he was. Jellal did not need to loose anyone else.

"It would have been weird if you had known, it's not something that people should just happen across. All types of Flowering Pris were destroyed around 20 years ago so that there could be no magic infusion practiced upon them. And anyway, it's easier to cure the effects of the poison than it is to find enough magic to make it poisonous. It just isn't worth the trouble." She paused thoughtfully. "But someone had to have sought out the plant and used their magic to make it poisonous. I can't imagine why though."

"Well my dear, from what the boy told me, a lot of people died before he destroyed the plant." Master Falcon looked grave.

"Was it easy to destroy the plant then?" Levy asked and Jellal nodded. She pursed her lips in annoyance. "So it was pretty pointless making it..."

"It killed people Levy. You should have seen them, the victims. And their families." The girl patted his shoulder as she moved past him.

"I know, sorry Jellal. Lives were lost and it's completely awful, but I want to understand why. Was the town involved in anything particularly important? Anything strange about it?" Levy had knelt down beside her box of books from Fairy Tail and was rummaging through it.

"No, it's barely even a town. More like a big village surrounded by miles and miles of farmland. It's isolated." Jellal recalled and shook his blue hair when sat down on the bed beside where Meredy lay.

"Well, perhaps that's the key then. Maybe whoever made the plant poisonous wanted privacy. Maybe he wanted to make sure there was minimal damage. There are spells and things that require the spores of the plant to work." Levy was engrossed in her box when Master Falcon piped up.

"I think you may be right dear. Remember that Wizard who came to us at the beginning of your stay." Levy nodded vaguely. "Well, he was looking for a way to stop the growth of a very particular kind of weed that was growing all around his village, very small and atop a tall mountain in the east. I remember it because I found it strange that an extinct genus of Yaoi Vines just appeared overnight in a mountain village. They were native to the tropical south. I think that it was also used as an ingredient in some ancient rituals."

"Perhaps this deserves more attention then, maybe it has something to do with Brigadoon... We will return to the village as soon as Meredy awakens." Jellal nodded to himself, resolute in his decision.

"What's Brigadoon? The wizard I was talking about earlier mentioned that too." Master Falcon had taken a seat near the fireplace in the room.

"It's another town. Meredy and I were on our way there when we came across the poisonous plant. Apparently it's full of ghosts." Jellal answered the Master as he and Levy listened intently. So they had found a common point between plants, death and a town called Brigadoon. "And it disappears. You can only see it when the mist falls, every third full moon. I wanted to check it out when it seemed that everyone who mentioned it ended up dead." His expression darkened and he looked down at Meredy. "Perhaps this wasn't a coincidence then..."

"It does seem like it should be investigated..." Levy was forming a stack of books beside her.

"I agree my dear and you should help him! You'll be leaving in 22 days anyway. What a perfect opportunity to take advantage of your new skills" The Master squawked from his place by the fire. Both wizards glanced towards him and Levy raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"You know that might not be a bad idea... I would appreciate the assistance. Especially since this seems to be bigger than I realised." Jellal's eyes, one surrounded by his strange tattoo, implored the kneeling blunette to consider.

"You're right, I suppose, something doesn't sit well with me. And I'm interested in finding out more about this disappearing town. We could make a plan and-" Levy was cut off by Jellal who jumped up to his feet and began to pace back and forth.

"How about this? I'll take Meredy back to the town we hired the boat from so that she has the chance to regain her strength, then I'll meet you at the Doc's. You can look up stuff in the library and I'll organise our transport and stuff."

"So I'm the brains and you're the brawn?" She looked over her glasses at his determined expression.

"No, we're both the brains. But I know exactly where we can find our brawn." The way he was looking at told her everything. A dazzling smile broke out on her face as she breathed out her next words.

"Fairy Tail."

Day 364:

"I can't believe this is my last day here... It's gone so quickly!" Levy sat down at the table in the small, antiquated kitchen. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears as she watched Master Falcon dance expertly around the kitchen. It had taken a while but Levy had finally gotten through to him. It made Levy's heart hurt to think she was leaving him behind. She couldn't remember her parents, it was an old lady named Miss Kira who'd taken care of her until she was 11. That's who Grandfather reminded her of. And that's why it would be so difficult to say goodbye.

"Time's funny that way, my dear. And though our time together has been fleeting..." Levy looked up towards him. He was standing in the centre of the kitchen, trembling. His whole body. He sniffed and then turned dramatically. "IT HAS BEEN SO PRECIOUS!" The old man erupted with tears, they seemed to form waterfalls.

"Don't do that grandfather... If you start all that then..." Levys voice cracked and the tears had already begun to flow. She could feel them dripping onto the floor as she ran towards Master Falcon and grabbed him in a tight hug.

"Oh dear... It's not even really goodbye yet and look at us. Silly boy! What have you done!" He sniffed again and Levy wiped her eyes with her arm. They gave each other a watery smile.

"Sorry Beaky. What's for dinner anyway?" All they could do was carry on.

"Your left arm if you're not careful boy!" He wagged a finger at her and she sat back down.

"When do you think Hebe will get back? I didn't get to see her leave last time." Levy traced the shape of a wing on the table in front of her dreamily.

"You want to see her fly, do you?" He asked as he busied himself with stirring. It was indeed quite a sight to behold.

"Of course! It must be amazing to be able to fly!" The closest Levy had gotten was falling through those portals of hers.

"Well, I imagine she'll be back as the dawn breaks. We could wait up for her if you'd like?" Levy's eyes sparkled at the thought. She could picture it now. Hebe soaring through the air, her wings illuminated by the fiery glow of sunrise. Her red eyes alight with the rush of true freedom.

"I'd like that." Levy tried to remain nonchalant, she didn't want to let on how much she was fangirling over the winged woman. It was embarrassing how overwhelmed she was at the thought of her.

"You can create window then, you know you're not supposed to go outside until she regains her Guardianship, so you can watch from inside."

"Fine... I think I'll go call Lulu after dinner. I haven't called her for-"

"Two whole days my dear, how will she even remember you?" Master Falcon squawked good naturedly.

"Whatever Beaky."

"Just tell Lucy 'hello' from me, okay boy?"

Day 365:

This was it. The moment she'd been waiting for all this time. Levy could see Hebe, just a dot in the distance, soaring towards the Library.

She had spent the night packing up her things and when she'd finished, Master Falcon had taken them down to the pier so they could be picked up by Master Makarovs 'special' courier who she had as of yet never laid eyes upon. Now she only had her satchel slung over her shoulder with the things she would need to get back to Magnolia. She almost couldn't believe that tonight she would actually be seeing her friends again after so long. It would be difficult to leave Grandfather, of course but she could not find it within herself to be too sad.

"Can you see her, child?" Master Falcon yelled giddily and clapped his hands. It was easy to see that he had missed his Granddaughter. His knobbly knees were on display as he'd dressed in his finest clothing – a smart shirt with yellow and green kilt. Only him.

"It's going to be just like I imagined!" Levy half squealed as the sun suddenly broke free of the horizon. Lighting up the sky with pinks, oranges and reds that made Hebes rapidly approaching form seem utterly majestic. She couldn't take her eyes off of the woman. Although, Levy noticed that she was losing altitude and that her wings seemed to be out of sync with one another. Her brow furrowed slightly.

"Levy!" Cried the Master. He pointed to the horizon where to both their horror a shadowy figure had come into view and was gaining on Hebe fast. Levy was almost in tears for as Hebe drew nearer the library you could see that she was definitely struggling to stay in the sky and escape whatever was after her.

"What is that?" Levy could see that one of her great copper wings were damaged and he was clutching something to her chest. Levy and the Master screamed when the thing that was chasing her threw something and knocked her out of the sky. You could see what it was now, a large and deformed looking man with humungous metallic wings.

The winged woman was tumbling and spinning downwards like a comet and unable to lift herself into the air again with one wing.

Without thinking Levy dove straight through the window she had created to watch Hebe flying in and yelled at the top of her lungs: "SOLID SCRIPT: PORTAL!" She completed the hand movement with dizzying speed and pointed to where she was now falling and to the air just above Hebe. She shot through the swirling vortex and in under a second she was above her and watching her fall with a tormented look on her face.

"Levy... My child!" Hebe barely managed to gasp out.

Levys eyes widened as she finally saw what Hebe was holding. It was an egg.

"SOLID SCRIPT: NET!"

Hebe made contact with the Net, landing with a gentle bounce upon it, through the tears in her eyes Levy could see slight relief - but it wasn't over yet. Levy crashed onto the net beside her in a kneeling position.

"Make the transfer, Hebe. You need to get into the Library!" Levy groaned and grabbed the sides of the terrified woman's face. "Hurry up, that things coming and I can't fight it unless you take back the Library. Please!"

"Levy I-"

"There's no time." With a desperate nod, Levy kissed the woman's forehead and with a rush of electricity, the transfer had been made.

Hebe's thoughts rushed into her as the power rushed out. She knew exactly what was going on now.

"Be careful Levy!" Said Hebe softly, still hugging the egg.

Returning Hebe's powers seemed to have strengthened her and her wing seemed to have lost its bent shape. Nodding to the blunette, she rose up.

"Don't fight him dear girl – he'll kill you. She held out her hand but Levy merely turned around to face the direction the guy was coming from.

"I'll take care of this guy for you and Hebe jr. Okay?" The villain with metal wings fired again, this time at Levy who was standing upon her net – he missed the blunette but hit it. It was destroyed in a burst of light causing Levy to drop.

"No!" Cried Hebe who lunged towards the girl in an attempt to rescue her but she didn't have to. With another flurry of movement she had disappeared through one of her portals.

"Hebe! Get into the Library!" She heard Levy shout from behind her as she dropped onto the ground in front of the Library from the other portal. Hebe relented and flew with great speed back to the library. The wind she created blew Levy's hair back as she and her egg disappeared through the brick wall.

Whilst Levy realised it would be easy just to go inside with Grandfather and Hebe – she didn't want to. The huge metallic monster crashed to the ground in front of her, his mangled silver wings were out behind his head and she could see him sneering under a tangled green fringe that obscured his face. His chest heaved and his knuckles were white. He was incredibly ramped up – but Levy reckoned that her fury far exceeded his.

She stood, shoulders back feet apart and faced the bastard who was after Hebe and her egg. She had experienced the same kind of memory transference that Hebe had a year ago. And what Levy saw pissed her off. The villain who stood in front of her seemed more monster that man being hooked up to those ugly metal wings.

"WHO ARE YOU?" Boomed his disgustingly cracking voice. She had a flashback from Hebe's memories that told her what he had tried to do to her wings and her egg. It was demonic.

"That's not really important," She shrugged at him, her fury was under control but his clearly was not. He snarled as she continued speaking. "What's important is who you are, and what you tried to do to Hebe and her baby. You've made me angry you see." She growled this and, somewhat theatrically, threw her arms up in the air. "And now I'm gonna kick your ass."

"How could one so tiny ever hope to defeat me? I will have those wings, there is nothing you can do to stop me."

"You don't understand just how absolutely sure I am that there is no way on earthland you're getting through those walls." She pointed backwards to the Library and he looked up at it. He most likely did not realise that it was impenetrable unless you were allowed in by the Guardian. "And as for my height... It isn't going to stop me from destroying you."

"Big talk for an itty bitty." He snarled, puffing out his chest and cracking his iron encased hands. Levy began to laugh. She took notice of the cannon that looked to have been melted onto his right forearm. So this is what he was shooting from?

"Perhaps..." She smiled wickedly at him. "Would you like to shoot me?" She asked and he looked bemused for a moment. "I promise I won't move from this spot." She made a cross over her heart.

"You'll just use your little portal on me... I won't fall for that one!" He nodded, pleased with himself that he'd foiled her scheme and she feigned a disappointed pout. Then a look crossed his own face – she imagined he realised that he wouldn't be able to shoot at the library without that happening either.

"Fine then... But remember, I did offer you the chance to get a hit in." Levy raised her tiny fists up. "Let's get this done then. Just try your best to last more than a minute, I really need to practice with someone who's actually trying to hurt me."

"How about you quit being stupid itty bitty and move out of my way. I won't play games!" The veins in his neck stuck out as he readied himself to take a run at the wall. Levy simply shrugged.

"Okay then. SOLID SCRIPT: IRON!" The blunette yelled and completed the necessary hand movement. The winged creature – who in Hebe's memories had called himself Drew – jumped back in terror. But the word she had created just plopped unceremoniously to the ground.

"Wow. Scary." His fear turned to laughter and Levy joined in momentarily. Then her face turned stony.

"I'm not finished." She raised her right hand and pointed to the sky, stretching right up onto her tip toes. "SOLID SCRIPT: IRON GOLEM!" With that the word of iron that lay on the ground exploded in a shower of light and the pieces hung in the air for a moment before they began to swirl around like a hurricane. Drew looked on in disbelief as the swirling pieces of metal burst into tiny versions of the word 'iron' and began piecing themselves together again around the small blunette who was lifted slightly into the air.

"What ARE you?" He half screamed this as she dropped down to her feet. It was an unbelievable sight, though you could vaguely see Levys small body, she appeared to be inside some kind of iron monster. It was huge, all the tiny words had stitched themselves together around her and made a beast of epic proportions. And it moved when she moved inside. She took a step towards the winged man.

"A Fairy Tail wizard." Levy informed him in a dangerously low voice and leapt up towards him, her metal encased fist colliding with his jaw resulting in a sickening crunch. The punch sent him flying backwards into the air where he had to use his giant wings to steady himself. "And it's a bad idea to mess with our friends."

"I think you broke my jaw bitch!" He shot at Levy with his cannon balls but they simply bounced off her armoured golem form. When that failed, he tried to fly up but Levy in her caught his ankle and threw him back against the wall of the library. The force completely crushed one of his wings and he ended up collapsed on the ground. He held out one of his hands as Levy in her Golem approached. "No! I can't fight anymore, don't do this!" He cried out to her but Levy was having none of it.

"I saw into Hebes mind, Drew." She grabbed his neck and lifted him up, he made a strangled noise and attempted to kick the golem but it only served to hurt his foot. "You locked her up and tried to tear her wings off. You were going to 'eat' her child! You would have killed her if she hadn't escaped! And if you can't give me a fight – consider this a beating!"

Levy's beating was quick and it ended up with him floating off out to sea in a little row boat she had put him in. As enraged as she was and as much as he had put her friend through she knew that she couldn't kill anyone that couldn't defend themselves.

When she finally dissipated her Golem, Levy collapsed to her knees completely exhausted and out of power. The Golem tended to make her tired and she was grateful when Master Falcon wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hauled her up, leading her back into the library. She felt that same watery feeling she had a year ago as she passed through.

"You were marvellous Levy!" The Master squawked as Hebe had brought Levy straight into the office room they had sat in together the year before.

"Thank you, dear girl... I daren't even think what would have happened had you not been there." She glanced towards the fireplace where her egg sat, her red eyes shining with tears. The way she looked at her child made Levy want to cry it was so beautiful.

"It's been my job to protect you until our year is up. And I couldn't let that man get away with what he did to you." Levy grasped Hebe's hands to reassure her. "I can't believe you're going to be a mother though! Is that why you had to leave?" Hebe nodded to the blunettes question.

"Yes." She wiped her eyes and sniffed, moving over to the fireplace. Levy followed and knelt down in front of the egg. "It's how things are done you see. Like my Mother and my Grandmother. The Guardians of the Northern Phoenix have one year where they are able to leave and travel the world in search of a... Well a mate. Only then can they return to the Library and have the child born in this nest of knowledge, from the ashes of this very fireplace." Hebe's voice had a soothing quality that was very motherly indeed, she looked softly at the copper coloured egg. It was quite large, Levy thought.

"Levy, the boat is here." Master Falcon had re entered the room although Levy hadn't noticed him leave.

"Really?" Something struck Levy upon hearing this. She really didn't want to leave this fantasy behind. Here she believed that she had become strong and capable. What if back in Magnolia she realised that in actual fact she was not?

"Oh my goodness!" The Master squawked and dashed forward with flailing hands, Levy turned back to the egg. It was moving.

"It's time." Hebe sighed lovingly.

"Do we need, like, towels or anything?" Levy received a look from the two and shut up.

The gorgeous copper shell cracked and a little hand popped out. Then another. And then two little legs. Levy and the Master awed as Hebe leaned forward, her long black hair brushed the ashes in the fireplace. She lifted away the top half of the shell and picked up a tiny blue haired baby with pitch black skin and the most gorgeous sapphire eyes that Levy had ever seen. The cutest part, however, was the little inky blue wings on the child's back that could be seen as Hebe hugged her daughter to her chest with a blissful expression.

"My dear child..." Master Falcon was full of intense emotion as he cried and sniffed. "You've given me another Grandaughter!"

"She's beautiful!" Levy was crying too and Hebe stood up, now cradling the baby who was peacefully watching instead of crying. Levy waved at the little baby and sniffed.

"I don't understand though..." Master Falcon was barely understandable from his sobs of joy. "When you hatched you wouldn't shut up!"

"Grandfather!" Both women shouted and then turned to laugh at one another.

"So he adopted you then?"

"I know you told me to keep an eye on him – but he was the one looking after me. I did teach him to cook though!" Levy smiled fondly at the Master.

"Although the boy did call me Beaky..." Master Falcon shook his finger good naturedly at her.

"Thank you again Levy... I'm so glad that our paths were allowed to intertwine..." Hebe had noticed Levy begin trailing to the door.

"I have a lot to thank you two for. For letting me come here, supporting me. Letting me be part of your family. I'm a better person for knowing you both... And Hebe Jr." Levy sighed, a tear fell down her cheek and she picked up her satchel that had somehow ended up here. "I know I'm going home guys, but I feel like I'm leaving home too." Master Falcon pulled her into a hug.

"Please don't let this be goodbye forever, my dear. Come back to see us sometimes. I'll cook for you." The Master squawked sadly.

"Levy McGarden!" Hebes voice was raised and Levy turned round immediately to listen. Her face was serious, she looked so powerful with her child in her arms. Motherhood suited her. "You will come back to us! You hear me! My daughter must know you..." She looked down at the baby in her arms and Levy was stunned into silence. "In fact, I name you as her guardian... You are the only person I would trust to aid her – and us. Do you accept?"

"I do." Levy responded immediately.

"Well then, Levy McGarden, I guess you'll never be done protecting the library. Master Falcon squawked and danced around.

"Now that we know this isn't truly goodbye, I believe you have a boat to get to." Hebe smiled.

"I do indeed!" Levy hugged Master Falcon and then moved over to hug Hebe. She stroked her wards cheek gently, "What are you naming her?" Levy asked and bent over to kiss her forehead.

"Her name is Levy. Fitting, don't you think?" Levy's eyes widened and her throat closed up with raw emotion.

"How the hell do you expect me to leave now?" Levy yelled. "You just named your daughter after me!"

Master Falcon and Hebe only laughed joyously as Levy fished around for something in her bag.

Day 366 – Fairy Tail Guild:

"I just don't get it!" Gajeel was pacing up and down the Guild Hall. "She was supposed to be back yesterday!"

"You need to chill out..." Grey muttered boredly, it had become boring watching the big brute wearing down the floor for a girl he 'didn't' care about. Natsu began to laugh manically.

"Chill out? Seriously?" Lucy hit him over the back of the head. She was concerned too. When Levy had called her last she'd said she would make it to the Guild by yesterday evening. There had been a party planned and everything but the blunette didn't show up. She couldn't get her on her communication lacrima either.

"Is that supposed to be funny, Ice Princess?" Gajeel cracked his studded knuckles but Grey just held up his hands.

"I'm just saying that she's only a little late... We shouldn't worry." Gray was sitting right next to Juvia who was doing her best to ignore him. Only shooting him a sideways glare now and again. Or every time he would talk.

"Yet." Lucy added, trying to comfort Gajeel.

"And anyway, she probably decided to stay! Levy loves books doesn't she?" Natsu earned another slap across the back of the head from Lucy.

"No, Fairy Tail is her home. We are her family..." Erza pitched in.

"Maybe the librarian was hot so she started banging him. She might be making a new family!" Cana yelled from her place at the bar as she slammed down a barrel filled with her favourite pastime.

"Don't say that in front of Gajeel, Cana." Mira said sweetly, drying off some glasses behind the bar.

"She can say what she wants. Ain't any of my business who the shrimp... Bangs" He coughed the last part out and Pantherlily patted his shoulder.

"Yeah, sure." Cana scoffed and Gajeel glared at her. Folding his arms over his chest and moving over to lean against the wall.

"I'd actually like to know where she is. Considering her things arrived back yesterday." Wendy piped up, albeit quietly. Charle nodded in agreement, she had yet to see Levy returning even in her visions.

"I just miss her." Lucy had tears in her eyes. "I want her to be here! All we've had is that stupid communication lacrima to talk with. I didn't think it'd feel like such a long time." She lay her head on Natsu's shoulder and he instinctively wrapped an arm around her.

"You liiike- eugh!" Lucy swatted Happy away before he finished.

"This is serious you damn cat!" Natsu caught Lucy's wrist and pulled her back into his chest. She blushed but he remained oblivious.

"We've all missed her..." Pantherlily said and everyone else nodded or hummed in agreement.

All of a sudden the door flew open and everyones heads snapped towards it. Their faces were a mix of shock, horror, amusement and in Gajeel's case indifference. The blunette stepped through the door.

"I have a job request for Fairy Tail. Well, we have a job request."

"Jellal?" Erza gasped and Mira clapped her hands giddily behind the bar. "What are you doing here?"

He didn't answer and instead looked back over his shoulder. Everyone followed his eyes.

"LEVY!" The Guild yelled collectively

"Hi Guys!" Levy stopped beside Jellal. She tilted her head and waved sweetly before looking up towards Jellal. "They clearly like me better than you."

Gajeel growled at the two standing together, smiling at each other. So she was banging someone.

"Levy, I'm so glad to see you!" Lucy tackled the girl and hugged her tightly. "You look so good!"

"I've missed you so much Lu-chan! I've missed you all!" He arm remained around Lucy's shoulder as she motioned to the Guild.

Jellal had moved casually towards Erza, and now the two were locked in conversation whereas everyone else had rushed forward to see the tiny blunette. Everyone except Gajeel who just stared at her. His eyes, the way he was looking at her, seemed to drown everyone else out momentarily. She held his gaze, drinking in the sight of him, until his stern expression finally turned into a smile. He nodded to her. She nodded back.

She turned her attention back to the crowd of people that had gathered around her and allowed it all to sink in.

The noise, all the faces – even the burning smell. It made her want to cry. She was home.

Gajeel POV

He watched her there, amongst all the chaos and he couldn't move. She had come back after all this time and all he was able to do was stand there like an idiot statue.

She was bright eyed and happy, just like he remembered her. But there was something different now and it was only when she'd met his stare that he knew. It filled him up with a genuine happiness that lingered even when she returned her attention to everyone else. She had done what she needed to do.

"It good to have her home, isn't it?" Mira-Jane had appeared suddenly beside him, smiling dreamily.

"Suppose'." He grunted. He vowed he wasn't going to give Mrs Matchmaker anymore ammo.

"She looks good..." The girl trailed off and walked away towards Levy. What the hell? He growled and looked at his feet, his arms still folded but he couldn't help but sneak a peek. Blondie had managed to clear away the crown with her demon voice and had given Levy tight hug.

He tilted his head and raised a studded eyebrow. It was true, she looked good. But she always did anyway. He let his eyes trail over every part of her and as usual he had to fight to tear them away.

Her laugh interrupted his thoughts and he all but turned to molten iron. He smiled to himself. She'd come home.

**Oh my goodness! Thank you for reading if you got this far! Seriously, that was pretty long!**

**Now that we've finally finished our opening we can move on! Our next chapter will be organising the team that's going to Brigadoon and the journey to get there. I promise it will be filled with GaLe moments! And obviously lots of NaLu, Gruvia and Jerza fluff too! I literally cannot wait!**

**See you Soon!**


	6. Chapter 1: You've Been Replaced

**A/N: Heigh Ho lovely people. **

**I finally managed to squeeze in an update! I'm nearly finished the exam period in University so I'll have better and more frequent updates then.**

**I loved writing this bit! Especially the end! I'm attempting to show what Levy and Gajeels relationship should be now that they are back together again in the story. Though I don't know if I've gone in the right direction. They've both changed you see and they've always had this weird and dysfunctional partnership but it's in a different way now. Basically I'm calling them weirdos. Which is what we all are to each other anyway!**

**I'm also hinting at what's going on with some of the other ships as well. I just cannot wait to tell the rest of this story! I've got a lot of exciting ideas for it. I might even start adding in some hints!**

**Happy reading!**

**Chapter 1: You've Been Replaced**

Levy, Jellal and the rest of their closest Fairy Tail family sat up well into the night merrily discussing their reunion but more importantly the days to come. They had all gathered around one of the larger tables of the guild hall when most of the other guild members left for home.

Jellal and Levy were at the head of the table having pulled up seats next to one another, with Levy clutching a reluctantly delighted Pantherlily to her chest. Gajeel was looming silently behind them, his large hands resting on the back of the girl's chair. Levy smirked at this for when she had first leant back and discovered his hands, his warm knuckles digging somewhat soothingly into the back of her neck, she had pulled away immediately and turned round to apologise. However, she stopped when she saw his bewilderingly intense scowl. Were they still going to do this? Levy then decided just to stick her tongue out at him and lean back again. It was her chair after all, he could move his damn hands if he was so upset!

To their right was Erza, who seemed to turn pink every time Jellal would glance at her and smile dashingly and though they were discreet Levy couldn't help but giggle at the two. On Erza's side of the table there was Juvia and Wendy who sat close to one another with Charle on the small dragon slayers lap. Grey too was beside them and had perched himself on the edge of the table with his feet on one of the chairs, his shirt lost in the chaos of Levy's return. He was pretending to stare off into space whilst constantly sneaking glances at Juvia whom Levy had noticed had been utterly reserved throughout the night so far – she had actually yet to speak to the ice mage. Interesting. All she did was participate merrily in the company.

Opposite Wendy, Charle, Juvia and Gray was Lucy and the gruesome twosome themselves who were to Levy's delight as wild and crazy as she remembered. Lucy had grabbed Natsu and Happy by the ear for the fourth time that night and was scolding them fiercely for Natsu had been trying to pick a fight with Jellal and Happy was encouraging him. Lulu had to step in before flame brain singed something.

The only other people in the Guild Hall was the Master and Mira who were at the bar, only half listening to what was Jellal was currently saying.

"I know it may be a lot to ask but I think this town may be in trouble. After I left Levy at the Library and took Meredy to the healer, I took it upon myself to investigate Brigadoon further – I discovered its location, when it appears and that there's definitely something wrong with the place. It's not the ghost town people think. Levy couldn't even find information on it any more than 20 years old." Jellal glanced to the side slightly as he spoke.

"Yeah, it's weird... But I'm actually more concerned with what we found out about the plants." She turned her head up slightly to meet his eye and then back to the rest of the group. "From the reading I did on those poisonous flowers and vines that caused trouble for those towns we told you about it makes me think someone's trying to make a bomb. A big one – the kind of thing that could wipe out a continent easily. After Jellal left, Master Falcon and I managed to dig up some scary stuff. And from what I gather someone could be using Brigadoon – a town that disappears – as a place to cook up this weapon. If you think about it it's really the perfect cover. Minimal interuptions and you'd only have to worry about the people inside and they never leave anyway." Her face was gravely pondering.

"But we won't know until we investigate. That's where you guys come in." Jellal stood up and put a hand on Erzas shoulder. The red head tensed up and blushed comically. "I want you, Erza, to come with me. And Natsu, Lucy and Grey too. I've seen how well you work as a team and you're _my_ first choice." He looked at each of them but his gaze lingered on Erza who nodded normally this time – serious at the prospect of a job. "It might be dangerous, however, you don't have to come."

"Of course we're comin'! I'm all fired up now!" Natsu jumped miraculously from his chair to the table with a huge childlike grin on his face, his eyes squinted shut. "But what about Happy?" He suddenly said causing Lucy to yank his ankles and send him tumbling backwards. She did not anticipated him to fall onto her, although, and she ended up with a seemingly terrified Natsu on her lap.

"It's up to Jellal you idiot!" She exclaimed shoving against him –though he was lodged in between her body and the chair so it didn't do much good.

"Well you can count me in. I was meaning to get away for a while." Grey said this nonchalantly and Juvias head snapped up towards him with an offended look on her face that lasted under a second before she feigned disinterest.

"Good!" Said Levy who felt Gajeels grip grow tighter on the chair, she smiled brightly and ignored him. "I have a few requests too! I want the rest of you at the table! Wendy, Juvia and the Exceeds are welcome if they would like to join us." She could almost feel Gajeel radiating fury at being left out. It was giving her a sick satisfaction. "And maybe you would consider joining us Gajeel? If you're not busy with anything…" She looked backwards over her shoulder at him and she felt a twinge of joy at his half smirk. But when the sky dragon slayer spoke she turned back to the group.

"I'd love to come, thank you Levy!" Came Wendy's sweet voice.

"Juvia would also be delighted to accompany you." She smiled brightly at Levy and then glared up at Grey who looked slightly afraid. Levy would have to ask about this later!

"I'm going if Charle and Natsu are going!" Yelled Happy whilst Charle rolled her eyes at the little blue fuzzball.

"And I shall certainly go with you Levy." Patherlily, who had managed to escape Levy's cuddles was now standing on the table in front of her with his little arms over his chest. "Will you be coming too Gajeel?" Pantherlily looked past Levy and up towards the iron dragon slayers face.

"I've got nothing better to do. When do we leave?" He shrugged it off as nothing.

"In two days time. We'll have about a days travelling to do and we should be able to arrive at the location before the next full moon. That's if it's the right place." She winked at Jellal who feigned offence.

"Just because I missed our first train doesn't mean I'm hopeless Levy! Did you not see me in the Grand Magic Games?"

"Whatever tattoo face, just don't make me regret shacking up with you on this. And you missed our stop here-" Levy nearly yelped when she felt Gajeels hands jump. She had actually relaxed into the feeling of his knuckles on her neck. Why was he so on edge all the time? Was it because she'd said 'shacking up'?

"Not a very clever insult for the 'Great Guardian' now is it? And maybe if you hadn't fallen asleep you could have told me what station was ours." He mocked and she wrinkled her nose at him effectively ignoring Gajeel whose hands had disappeared. She got to her feet and pushed in her chair.

"Shut up…" She liked Jellal and found their conversation entertaining but right now she actually just wanted to get home to bed. Although, she would put some books back in the library first. "Shouldn't we all get to bed now guys? Maybe you wouldn't mind meeting with us again tomorrow when everyone's less tired? And Natsu! How is it even possible that you go from shooting fire everywhere to almost passing out in Lulu's cleavage?" The boy only really had his head resting on his blonde companions shoulder but Levy was pulling a Mira-Jane. He suddenly sat up straight, along with Lucy as Happy flew around mouthing his standard 'They liiiiiiike each other!" Lucy and Natsu both sported red faces. They were quite comfortable with each other, weren't they?

"I agree, we should go and rest. We'll find out more about this and your adventures tomorrow Levy. It really is good to have you home." Erza was so genuinely spoken that it got Levy right in the heart but her next words made her laugh. "Now tattoo face! Do you have somewhere to stay?" She had gotten up and turned to face Jellal, hands on her armoured hips.

"I'm going to the inn…" He shuddered, Levy had met the inn keeper so she knew why.

"No – you shall stay with me!" With that Erza grabbed his arm and yanked him away roughly. The company began laughing. And Mira was half squealing in the background.

"Juvia will walk with you and Wendy to Fairy Hills, Levy." The girl smiled sweetly and danced over to hug Levy with Wendy and Charle at her heels.

"Thanks Juvia but I've got some books to put away here so I'll be a little later tonight." Levy smiled and tilted her head. "I'll see you both tomorrow though. I'm desperate to tell you guys and Lu-chan everything!" The two girls simply nodded whilst Charle flew disinterested towards the door. The girls nodded and followed suit

"Bye Levy!" Gray yelled, running past the girl. "I'll walk you home, Juvia."

"Juvia is perfectly capable of walking herself. Go home Gray." Levy spun around quickly to gape at Juvia sassily leaving a now moody Gray in the dust. What on earth was going on here?

"Now that one's definitely interesting isn't it?" Lucy had appeared behind the girl and squeezed her waist playfully before wrapping her up in a tight hug. "I really missed you Levy. But now… It's as if you never left. I'm so glad you're happier now - it practically radiates from you. And I can't wait for all the other details…" Her eyes travelled to where Gajeel was lingering, past where Mira and the Master were preparing to leave from, and she winked. Levy may have mentioned (many times) the dream spell to her and Lulu was ravenous for details.

"Bye Levy, good to have you back." Natsu skipped past the two but grabbed Lucys hand, dragging her amusingly away.

Happy and Lily flew after them, waving. Levy waved back joyously. She just loved Pantherlily!

"I agree my dear, it's so nice to see you again!" The Master already knew that she was going to put back her books, he also realised she wanted to say 'hello' to her home again so he left quickly.

"See you tomorrow Levy! We have a lot to talk about." Mira grinned widely and skipped out after the Master after grabbing Levy for a hug. She also winked at the girl and pointed back to Gajeel who was now looking at his feet as if he wasn't standing waiting for her. She mouthed something along the lines of 'Do me proud.' Oh Mira...

"Aren't you going home Gajeel?" He brought his head up now and grinned somewhat menacingly at the girl.

"I am." He said simply. His feet remained glued to the spot, however, contradicting this.

"Then why aren't you moving?" She had sauntered over to her book boxes that she'd brought to the library with her. "Or is it more fun watching me? Would you like me to strip?" She giggled and his body stiffened slightly. She was attempting to let him know that she was okay. And she couldn't help but tease him this way.

"No way Shrimp." He folded his arms over his chest looking off to the side in order to avoid eye contact. "I don't need to see all that again."

"Oh Gajeel… I'm kidding you big idiot. And now I'm offended!" Levy attempted to lift the biggest box but failed somewhat when it nearly slipped out of her grasp. It wasn't that it was an unmanageable weight – she'd gained physical strength over the past year too – she was just tired and didn't pick it up properly. When it was about to slip she felt Gajeels large hands envelop her tiny ones and help to support the weight. She looked up towards him with wide eyes.

"Can I help?" Levy was shocked that he was actually, however curtly, asking for a change instead of just grabbing the box and screaming at her for being slow or small.

"Um, sure… Thanks." She let him take the first box in his arms and she picked up the other one. "Would you help me take them up to the resource room?"

Gajeel merely grunted in agreement and Levy was utterly dumfounded. He was being nice - well nice for Gajeel. Maybe he'd missed her. She snorted to herself under her breath.

"Did you miss me Gajeel?" Levy asked mockingly as they made their way through the infamous pool room and up the dark stairway. She saw Gajeel shrug.

"Nope. And neither did those clowns you call team mates." He grunted this and pushed open the door.

"Jet and Droy? Lu-chan said they were on a mission." Levy set the box at her feet and tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Yeah, with the little torture girl. You've been replaced." He also set his box down and turned to face her.

"Laky?" Levy quirked an eyebrow. She'd been replaced?

"Yeah. After you left they started following her around…" He looked thoughtful for a moment but it soon faded back to the neutral scowl. Levy thought he was going to say something else but he remained quiet.

"Wow. I thought it was funny that they weren't here to see me…" She didn't know why but it made her kind of sad. Gajeel must have noticed because he moved towards her and held out his hands.

"But all the rest of those bozos really missed you. Lily wouldn't shut up about all of it…" He looked like he didn't know what to do and she realised she had hung her head.

"I can't believe they weren't here to see me, I wanted them to come to Brigadoon too... I guess we aren't Team Shadow Gear anymore." She looked up and laughed a little. "It'll just be Team Levy. Or maybe I'll steal Pantherlily from you…"

"I knew it, you've been eyeing him ever since you met him! Get your own damn cat Shrimp!" He had gotten all mean and serious again.

"Don't worry Gajeel, I'm kidding. Besides – I reckon I could do jobs solo from now on." She kicked her box against the wall resolving to unpack tomorrow. After hearing that her best friends had basically dumped her she didn't feel like doing anything at all.

"Is that so?" Gajeel folded his arms now wearing an amused smirk.

"I think I may even be able to take you in a fight, Iron Breath." He grinned widely when she said this.

"Gihi. Seriously Shrimp?" He chortled as if he didn't believe her. How rude.

"Yeah!" She yelled and punched his stomach - feigning weakness. She decided then that she would shock him some day soon. Just wait until she got into her Golem form.

"I'll have to take you up on that some time then…" He trailed off and was now looking at her funnily as they stood there in the dark. He had his head slightly tilted and wore another half smirk.

"You will! And why are you looking at me funny?" She was getting all hot and bothered, considering their closeness and the fact that the Guild was now empty.

"You seem good Shrimp." He nodded at Levy as her face contorted in confusion. "You're like… glowing." He reached out and Levy thought he was going to ruffle her hair but instead he kind of ran his fingers through it, allowing his hand to linger at the nape of her neck. It was almost tender. And Levy was now staring up at him, frozen still.

"And you're acting possessed." She didn't know how to react although when he pulled his hand away and cleared his throat she realised she would have preferred him to continue. "Is everything okay?" Gajeel straightened up and coughed. Thrusting his gloved hands into his pockets.

"Are you done here?" He asked ignoring the past minute.

"Yeah, I just need to grab my- Oh shoot!" Levys hands flew up to her mouth in disbelief. "My keys are with Droy. I'm going to need to wake everyone up!" Levy turned round and took off down the stairs in a panic with Gajeel in hot pursuit. How selfish could they have been? Had they forgotten to even give them to Mira-Jane? The worried girl cleared the pool room in a matter of seconds and was very near sprinting to the door.

"Wait! Shrimp!" Gajeel called from behind her. She stopped, realising she'd been rude.

"Sorry Gajeel, what? I'm just panicking!" She wondered if she could just use her portal spell to get in but she was sure Lucy had mentioned something about an enchanted barrier being erected after some issues with Grey and Juvia…

"Um…" He was suddenly looking somewhat flustered and slightly angry. "You can stay with me." He said quickly. As if the words hurt.

"No, it's too much trouble. I'll just-" He interrupted her and grabbed her wrist when she began walking away again.

"My house is closer that Fairy Hills." They both knew it would be awkward but he seemed adamant. "Stop being difficult." Levy pondered the idea for a moment. She used to stay with Jet and Droy all the time - if she couldn't have them maybe she could recruit Gajeel to her new guy friend. He was being nice to her after all. She resolved to just lighten the situation.

"Don't you dare grab me, idiot. That's no way to treat a girl your trying to sleep with." Levy grabbed her wrist away then cocked out her hip to rest the hand on it. If he was going to be so mean all the time hen she would compensate with humour. Her lips curled up into a smile and she swore she saw him blush a little. His mouth opened and closed like a fish before he regained his composure and stood up to his full height.

"Well it's usually a lot easier than this." He fired back at her, grinning. He was actually joking with her!

"Ask me nicely Gajeel. Then I'll go home with you." She laughed and folded her arms over her chest straightening to her full height as well. Although it didn't do much.

"I don't do nice Shrimp." His red eyes sparked when he said this and she almost swooned. That was entirely reminiscent of Dream Gajeel. She sighed and turned away slowly.

"Too bad then." She walked a little bit before she felt herself being lifted by the back of the dress. She had to stifle a giggle and remain serious.

"That's not gonna work for me." He swung her around and she began kicking her legs halfheartedly. This was fun.

"You are literally kidnapping me you idiot!"

"It's just so easy tho-" His laughing stopped abruptly and he dropped her to the ground. She turned round to smile but her face fell when she saw his serious and dark expression. Not again, she didn't want to deal with the mood swings.

"Everything okay Mr Kidnapper?" She joked but he wasn't having it.

"Who did it?" His voice was dangerous and he was pointing at her.

"Did what?" She was slightly worried now and jumped when he grabbed her shoulder and yanked her so that she was facing away from him. He ran his hand over the skin there and continued with his violent muttering. Oh dear.

"Who the hell bit you? I can see it clear as fucking day." His voice was rough but his hands were gentle and when Levy turned round she began laughing. He looked ready to kill.

"You want to know who bit me?" Her laughing continued but he just looked pissed off. She began to dance away towards where she could now see Gajeels little cottage house.

"Tell me!" He yelled at her. She turned round, walking backwards and giggling like a mad woman.

"You did!" She shouted to him, choking on her giggles. But he just stood with a dumbfounded look on his face. "Aren't you coming?"

"What do you mean _I_ did?" He jogged to catch up with her, they were walking up the small path to his home together.

"I mean exactly what I said." She shrugged and stopped at his door. Looking up with her head tilted, his facial expression was a mixture of anger and worry but she was having a rare old time.

"But I didn't… _Bite_ you, Shrimp." He looked a little pale at the thought. "And I couldn't have anyway cause' I didn't follow you to the damn Library. So who bit you?"

"I'm telling you Dragon Slayer – you bit me. And in the throes of passion too. Can we please go in, it's cold." She smiled wickedly up at him as he processed what she said. Then to her surprise he laughed and shook his head, turning the handle on the door and pushing it open to reveal a dark living room lit only by the dying light of a fire. The small blunette had been there before during the day time.

"Whatever you say." He lay his hands on her shoulders and all but pushed her inside. She looked up at him as he closed and locked the door. No escaping now she guessed. He'd thought she was joking.

"It's true! Don't you believe me?" She pouted mockingly as he made his way to his bedroom door, pushing it open. Although it was dark she remembered that this was quite a homey little cottage. She hadn't expected it actually the first time she'd visited. He disappeared into his room and came out laughing, holding something in his hand.

"Nope it ain't. And no I don't. But you're obviously avoiding the subject so I'll drop it." He tossed waht was in his hand towards her. "Here." It was sleeveless black vest made of a soft material instead of the leather he usually sported. She smiled at him and bent down to undo her shoes and take off her socks, placing them to the side. Whilst he leaned lazily against the doorframe and yawned. Okay then – let's have some fun.

"Thank you Gajeel. You're quite practiced in this. Do you often entertain?" She drawled and pulled out another headband she'd bought after loosing her last one. She tossed it nonchalantly to where her shoes and socks were and smiled when she saw she had gotten his attention. He was peering at her strangely. She threw the vest over her head and as she was wearing a dress with ties she simply pulled at them and let the garment fall to her feet. The black fabric of the vest was baggy and hung down nicely, just reaching, mid-thigh. She saw Gajeel visibly gulp and she stepped out of the dress pooled at her feet, picking it up and folding it. He was gaping at her again. "Calm down, Iron Breath. You're such an easy target!"

"What are you talking about Shrimp? And so what if I do, um, entertain?" He attempted to regain composure as she stood there, in his living room wearing only his vest having stripped off in the middle of his living room. Levy realised she may have been taking this a little far, she hoped he still knew she was joking.

"Good! You can tell me all about it then. And then I'll tell you about when you bit me…" Levy smirked and inched closer to the giant dragon slayer who looked as if he wanted to run. It was hilarious.

"Yeah. Maybe we should just get some sleep." He moved back into his room and came back with a blanket and pillow, tossing it over to the couch. "You take the bed." He said this gruffly, expecting an argument but Levy just smiled and shrugged. She didn't want to start fighting loudly, she imagined poor Lily was sleeping in the next room.

"But I want to talk more! And it's scary being in your house at night." She walked forward and grabbed one of his giant hands with both her tiny little ones and pulled him into his room and over to the side of his bed. He seemed too intrigued to say anything so she filled the silence. "We're sharing." With that she sat down cross legged on the edge.

"Shrimp…" He turned his body to face her. Friends sharing a bed wasn't a big deal was it? She did it all the time with Lulu, Jet and Droy. She shrugged.

"Well I'd feel bad taking your bed. And I know you won't let me take the couch. And we're friends aren't we? It's not a big deal. And we've got this hilarious humour filled conversation going on and I know you'll probably be back to your usual overly grumpy self tomorrow so I just want to enjoy the moment you kno-"

"Fine!" Gajeel cut off her rambling and moved over to his trunk, pulling out a pair of what looked like soft grey harem pants. She nodded with satisfaction. "You better close your eyes Shrimp, unless you're in the mood for a show." He grinned, his pointy teeth (the ones that matched the scar on her back perfectly) glinting in the darkness.

"Doubt it…" Levys heart was pounding as she closed her eyes an allowed herself to fall back onto the bed. She could hear the dragon slayer undressing himself and she had to force herself not to peek. If she did she'd never live it down. Her mind ventured back to the many nights Dream Gajeel had come to her and she wondered what would happen if the spell came back tonight. Two Gajeels. It made her giggle at the thought. But she'd never be that way with Gajeel. He was one of her nakama.

The bed tilted to the side so she knew that Gajeel had climbed on, she opened her eyes to find him staring down at her with an amused smirk on his handsome face. It made her feel all tingly but she pushed it to the side.

"Having a nice time?" He said as she turned round and got onto her knees. The fact that he was sitting, legs off the bed and that she was sititng on her heels made them almost the same height. She was literally staring straight into his face for once. But she couldn't help her eyes drifting down to his frankly epic chest. Dream Gajeel, apparently, did not do real Gajeel any justice. He was as big as a mountain and weirdly hairless with rippling muscles and one of those 'v' things - quite frankly he made her feel a bit intimidated. She looked back up to his face quickly ready for the mocking but found that he seemed to be studying her just as hard. So they were both checking each other out. It was Levy's turn to gulp as they were both frozen for a moment.

Tension hung in the air and when they finally met each other eyes - they burst out laughing.

"What side do you normally sleep on?" Levy said and smiled sweetly.

"Uh, this side…" He got up and pulled down the cover. It was a very large bed, although it would have to be for a giant like him. "But I'm warning you, I normally end up all over the place. I'm betting you kick me out soon, Shrimp." Levy scoffed at him and crawled over to the other side, slipping daintily under the covers herself and yanking down the vest when it rode up. She would have to be careful of that.

"I do that too! So _I'm_ betting you send _me_ packing off back to Fairy Hills." She got comfortable on the pillow, which was nice and soft. And when she inhaled she realised it smelled of him. She sighed a little but was stolen from her happy place with what he said next.

"You know, I normally sleep naked…" Gajeel was now tucked up like her although he had one of his large arms out. Levy froze at the thought of him sleeping here like _that_.

"Well I'm grateful you went the decent route tonight but ew! I didn't need to know that." She giggled and shifted so she was facing him straight on. "So do you really bring a lot of people back here then?" He had been staring up at the ceiling but he turned to look into her eyes and gasped slightly, relaxing only when he saw that Levy's expression was one of mocking.

"No. You're the only girl I've ever let come here. Well - Juvia too but she's barely human nevermind a girl. It's mostly on jobs that I…" He trailed off and looked back up to the ceiling, hooking an arm behind his head.

"Engage in the throes of passion?" She giggled.

"Gihihi, yeah." He laughed but then looked sideways at her with suspicion and apprehension. "And you can stop right there, Shrimp. I don't want to know things like that about you."

"Aw! Why not? I've had my fair share of escapades too!" Levy snorted when she felt him grip the blankets tightly.

"Whatever…" He huffed and Levy turned away from him defeated. She missed having these kinds of joking conversations. She used to have them with Jet and Droy a lot. She supposed that friendship with Gajeel would be different from friendship with her team mates and she'd just have to find something else for them to laugh about. Her thoughts were interrupted by a hand caressing the scar on her shoulder, Gajeel had obviously become interested again.

"What are you doing now, Iron breath?" She looked back over her shoulder to see his concentrated and worried face. He had leaned up on one of his elbows allowing his long black hair to come tumbling over his shoulder. It tickled her slightly.

"Did it hurt, Shrimp?" Levy grew hot under his touch when she heard the genuine concern in his voice. Oh Mavis.

"Afterwards… But at the time it was…" She paused to find the right word and then whispered: "exhilarating." His grip on her shoulder tightened and the blunette had to catch herself before she cried out. She turned quickly to face the Iron Dragon Slayer and ended up very nearly against his bare chest. His breathing was a little ragged. "Didn't Lulu tell you about the dream spell?" He shook his head.

"I wouldn't let any of them talk to me about you…" He looked down slightly and Levy just wanted to grab his face and kiss him. Wait, what?

"Well if you did, you'd know that I decided to use it to help with my training. It was designed to allow me to confront something that scared me to help to increase my powers…" Levy thought back.

"And it was me?" He looked horrified as he glanced at her shoulder. "What did I do to you?" His voice seemed to be filled with grief.

"No no no. It wasn't like that." She shook her hair. "My fear ended up, embarrassingly, manifesting as the desire to overcome my reliance on you. Subconsciously, relying on you and others to protect me was an obstacle on my journey to strength… I had expected the spell to be fighting though. Even when the illusion appeared I thought it was going to be about defeating you in battle."

"It wasn't?"

"No – it was more like a challenge. I needed to overcome my fears taking ownership of me." He looked lost. And it made Levy laugh. "Basically the illusion and I ended up getting quite hot and heavy and the only way to overcome it, and with it my fear, was to – um – dominate your dream form. Instead of letting you…" She stopped when realisation dawned on his face and instead of embarrassment like she'd thought he grinned –deliciously.

"So I bit you during our little roll in the hay?" Levy rolled her eyes.

"Not really you, Dream Gajeel. That's what I call him. It was actually a useful training technique in the end. Every time I was able to win the challange so to speak I could effectively access a greater deal of my power."

"So it happened more than once?"

"Yeah, loads. But I can end it really quickly now. And I know how to avoid you, or him, chomping down on me." Levy was concerned at just how much Gajeel suddenly seemed to be enjoying this now.

"So technically we-"

"No, I know what you're thinking. It never ever got that far!" It was Levys turn to huff now. "And why are you so pleased with this. I thought you didn't want to know things like this about me!"

"But this was technically with me. And it seems to me like you really enjoyed it. It was 'exhilarating'." He repeated the word she used earlier.

"Actually, the manifestation came from my mind. What I thought you were capable of. So technically I was making out with myself!"

"Whatever Shrimp! There's no way your getting out of this one." He stared up at the ceiling again with a smug look on his face. It turned serious however when something apparently dawned on him. "So basically you think sex with me would be all dark and twisted and scary." Levy shrugged where she lay, this was certainly a weird conversation to be having.

"I suppose. But if it helps, I really enjoyed it." She giggled and he chortled.

"Gihihi." He trailed off as they were silent once more. "I'm not like that by the way…" Levy glanced over at him as he breathed in deeply.

"What do you mean?" Levy asked and shifted where she lay.

"I'm not just.. I'm not all rough and mean." He was completely serious but Levy's face deadpanned. That's exactly how she would describe his entire personality.

"Um - are you sure?" Levy giggled and raised an eyebrow at him. He perked up again, grinning dangerously, before his arms shot out and scooped her up turning slightly so he had trapped her on his bare chest. She ended up sqirming around trying to get free. She screamed in disbelief at his next statement.

"I guess you'll just have to sleep with me and find out! Gihihi" He released her then and she launched herself back, half enraged half delighted.

"That's it! Couch!" She punched him right in the stomach, hard. And with her new strength she actually allowed herself to hurt him. His eyes widened and he growled at her in a tone that seemed playful. His grin continued and he jumped suddenly into a sitting position causing her to grab a pillow to hide behind. This was literally so much fun.

"You're playing dangerous games here Shrimp…" She peeked up from behind her pillow and pouted when she saw that he had lain back down and was back to smirking at the ceiling. She huffed. "Get to sleep."

"Okay then, but only because it's your house." She smoothed out the pillow and lay back down facing the dragon slayer who then proceeded to pull the cover up over her before he lay back down himself. Levy sighed happily.

"Goodnight Gajeel. I'm glad we're friends." She whispered honestly, watching his expression which didn't give anything away.

"G'night Shrimp." He grunted and they both lay silently together for a few moments. "Still can't believe you let me bite you though…"

"Shut up. I've let plenty of guys bite me! And those were real guys!"

"Shrimp!"

"What, you were asking for it Gajeel! And you want to know what else?"

"I really don't…"

"I slept with-"

"Can it Shrimp!"

**Woo! I finally managed to squeeze in an update! Next chapter will see the travelling to the mysterious Brigadoon! Which I've decided to just go ahead and make intensely Scottish in tribute to my beloved homeland. **

**See you next time! **


	7. Chapter 2: The Town in the Mist

** A/N: Hello lovely people! I have an update for you…**

**I'm jumping forward in time slightly and have made a change to the dynamic of Gruvia – you can reread the previous chapter as I have edited it to ensure it makes sense or you can leave it! It won't really make a difference.**

**Happy Reading!**

**The Town in the Mist**

"Well there's no use crying about it, idiot." Levy screamed after Gajeel whose hulking form staggered away along the train carriage, very nearly crushing some of the remaining passengers who looked on, trembling in horror, at the ruckus the Fairy Tail mages were making.

The blunette was on her knees, leaning over the back of her seat and shaking her fists at the snarling dragon slayer whose motion sickness threatened to knock him off his feet.

"I ain't crying Shrimp!" He snarled over his shoulder, as he swayed off through the door with Pantherlily at his back attempting to stop him falling on top of some innocent traveller.

"Tell that to-" Levy began to shout but paused when Pantherlily patted her hand.

"Please Levy, leave him be." The dark furred exceed pleaded, having been privy to their previous argument that had led to this.

"You're my cat! Stop siding with the –" His sentence was also cut short. His studded face turned green and he looked as if he might heave - Levy smirked and hoped he would throw up all over himself. Although unfortunately he made it through the door and into the other carriage. She cringed upon hearing him roar something unintelligible and knew it would have probably chased the passengers in there away too. At this rate they'd all be cramped into the one carriage to escape the wrath of the mages.

"Eugh!" Levy turned back around and shrank down into her chair with her arms wrapped around her. She barely even registered the chaos caused by her other teammates as she envisioned herself in her Golem form beating the crap out of that stupid iron cry baby. That seemed to get her breathing back to normal momentarily until she was assaulted by a flying Lucy.

"Lu-chan?" Levy exclaimed, grabbing at her arm to pull her the right way up.

"I'm so sorry Levy!" She looked starry eyed as she also tried to right herself.

"Luce! I'm sorry Luce!" Called Natsu, his eyes wide and face as green as Gajeels had been. He looked as if he wanted to tumble over despite the fact that five seconds ago he had managed to wrap his hands around Grays neck without much trouble.

"You idiot flamebrain!" Lucy screeched as scrambled out of Levy's lap. "I was only trying to stop you doing something stupid! I'm going to get Erza" Her face was dangerously serious but that did not deter Gray, who smacked Natsu on the back of his pink head, seemingly knocking him out. Lucy bolted forward. "Gray!"

"At least you don't have to get Erza!" He turned away from where Lucy had arrived at Natsu's passed out body, pulling his head onto her lap and poking his face asking if he was alright. All this despited the fact that he had thrown her across the room when she had tried to stop him killing Gray.

"I don't think this is going to be a very good trip." Wendy whispered, her face buried in Carla's snowy white fur. Levy smiled sympathetically over at the girl whose poor choice of where to sit had put her in the firing line.

"Now where were we?" Gray stalked forward somewhat menacingly towards where Juvia was seated. It was those two who had started this all in the first place.

"Juvia has nothing to say to you. You are unreasonable when you're like this." She sat primly with the uncomfortable Wendy to her left.

"Like what, Juvia? Trying to have a fucking conversation?" He stood over her, half enraged and half desperate – an unusual combination for the ice mage. "I don't get why you're acting so..." The blue haired water mage scoffed and turned her head away from him.

"Juvia does not think you ever tried talking to her before. And Juvia does not owe you - or anybody - her time!" With this she jumped up and pushed past the ice mage to find a seat further up the carriage, hopping over an unconscious Natsu. Wendy breathed a sigh of relief that made Levy giggle quietly.

"Leave her alone, would you Gray? Like Natsu said – if she doesn't want to talk to you then 'fuck off!'" Lucy was petting his hair like she would Happy sometimes. It was adorable to watch.

"And that's why I punched his face." He said coolly, as he also stepped over Natsu. He sat down across from Juvia – but this time he did not speak. She pulled her legs up to her chest and hid her face in her knees turning away from him slightly. "I'm sorry, you know." He told her, shrugging.

"Juvia doesn't believe you." Came her muffled reply.

The mood of the carriage shifted as everyone fell awkwardly silent. This was getting too real.

"Levy?" Came Wendy's small voice causing the fellow blunette to raise her head though she could see Wendy chewing on her lip as if reluctant to be heard.

"What's up Wendy?" She smiled serenely, now feeling peaceful due to the exit of Gajeel.

"I think you should go talk to Gajeel." She met Levy's wide eyes uncertainly and though Levy was hurt and slightly ofended – she would never dream of showing Wendy that.

"Wendy, I told you how much of a jerk he was the other day…" The blunette kept her expression even. She never anticipated that little Wendy would be siding with Gajeel. That's also kind of what had gotten everyone riled up before.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. It's just that… I think he maybe…" She trailed off and Levy shook her head slowly.

"No Wendy, please don't. He's just a big meanie and I can't let myself fall back into that old routine." She huffed and stared out the windows as the countryside flew by.

"He's grown just as much as you have Levy-san. You can't underestimate the power you have to hurt him" This time it was Juvia who spoke. And to her words Levy paid heed. She had always been close to the brute since their Phantom Lord days.

"I don't… Please don't say things like that Juvia." She'd thought they all understood. But maybe it was levy herself that needed to understand.

"Juvia is on your side Levy. You'll be happier if you sort this out." Levy could see torment in the water mages blue eyes. Levy sighed. Juvia was an old hand when it came to stormy relationships.

"I think I kind of agree with Juvia, Levy. Gajeel's a huge butt and all, but you won't have much fun on this trip if you don't stop attacking each other…" Lucy offered as she and Happy seemed to be dragging Natsu onto one of the seats. "Maybe it would be best to talk things through."

"I think maybe… you didn't really think about Gajeel's side of things." Wendy sounded like she was trembling as she said this and it made Levy feel terrible. Perhaps all the fighting and harsh words had distracted her from Gajeel's feelings. But he had been so hurtful. She cast her mind back to the morning after her and the iron dragon slayers sleepover and shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Yeah, well sometimes it isn't easy to see someone else's side when they've said such hateful things." Her voice cracked at the end and she bit her lip. Feelings were hard.

"It doesn't seem fair Levy when you're always being the bigger person – but he's family. And I don't think he'll be the one to move forward. He's more of a revel in the pain kind of guy…" Lucy spoke in a soft and cajoling manner that only the glue that held Fairy Tail together could manage. The blonde was right – she needed to talk things through with him.

"Yeah, cut the guy some slack." Gray called out brutishly earning him a glare from Juvia.

"Be quiet Gray-sa-!" She cut herself off and blushed furiously before she slunk down in her seat. Levy caught Grays hopeful expression as she moved towards the door leading to the other train car to find Gajeel.

"Can you believe this is how we've all ended up?" Levy paused and called out before she made her way into the other cart. Everyone was spread out on different parts of the train avoiding eye contact with one another.

"Familie's are crazy." Gray sighed nonchalantly. "But if you're still willing to go to Gajeel after everything… There's hope for the rest of us, right?" With that he closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the seat. Levy caught Juvia's watery smile as she finally pushed the door open and entered the other carriage where for some reason she couldn't see the Iron Dragon Slayer.

"Gajeel?" She called out, tugging at one of her sleeves nervously. Perhaps he had moved further away down the train. "Pantherlily?" The Exceed, who was still definitely friendly towards her, did not answer either.

Levy surveyed the empty carriage once more and walked hesitantly forward, her slow steps making delicate clip clops along the floor.

"Nghhh…" Levy's head snapped to the left where she heard Gajeel's familiar groan and hurried forward. She found him collapsed in a heap between a group of 6 seats. His body looked contorted and uncomfortable and Lily was nowhere to be found. Levy's expression softened as she looked down at him with his eyes tightly shut and his mouth half sneering as if he might waken and take a bite out of someone. He looked to be trembling slightly as well.

She knelt down beside his head and exhaled. "What am I going to do with you, iron breath." She smoothed down his hair, letting her hand linger near his face when suddenly his eyes snapped open and he seemed to jump into the air.

She let out a squeal as he rattled his head on the ceiling before collapsing backwards onto the seats.

"The hell, Shrimp?" His crimson eyes bore into her as she scrambled to her feet. "I can't leave you alone if you keep following me everywhere!" His hand went to the top of his head and he winced, Levy decided to ignore his grumpiness and instead went straight to get a look at his head.

"Have you hurt yourself?" She fretted and knelt up beside him parting his hair with her hands to see if there was a bump.

"What does it look like?" His expression was guarded as he pulled away from her hands and rested his face against the cool glass, his motion sickness was still killing him. He didn't see her shift closer to him.

"It looks like you hit your head." She deadpanned and huffed in frustration, staring at the back of his head. "Come on Gajeel, we need to talk. Civilly."

He didn't say a word.

"Fine then. I'll talk." She paused momentarily to give him the chance to engage – but he did not. "Okay so… I get that maybe I was sort of hurtful the other morning. But – even with that thick skull of yours – you must understand that I was a little bit surprised by your… reaction. I really didn't think I'd been leading you on by any means. But I do understand that that's how you felt – so I apologize for everything I did." She raised her gaze from her lap and realised that he had one crimson eye upon her.

"I'm uh… You're not all to blame, Shrimp, I guess." He shrugged his shoulders and repositioned his body to face her. "I was just in a weird place I guess. You being back and all – and in my bed. After being so…" He chose his next words cautiously. "Well you gotta admit Shrimp – you were flirtin' with me pretty dam hard." Levy kept her eye's on his face.

"It's true." She'd always bantered with Jet and Droy that way – although much more mildly. The time she'd spent away had made her bolder and poor Gajeel had been the victim of her period of readjustment to normal social interactions with her Guild Mates. "But I wasn't trying to seduce you or anything… I just thought we were being funny. I got a little caught up and-"

"I think we both did… Gihi!" His eyes were dancing and it made Levy smile slightly. She remembered waking up in his room and finding it to be empty. She had gone into the kitchen to get a glass of water and was barely awake when she ran into him – still damp and clad in only a towel.

"But I didn't try to kiss you." She pointed out and blanched at the memory.

"True." He allowed her. Indeed he had leaned down and attempted to kiss her which caused her to run away from him and screech profanities. "But you did make me feel like some sort of villain after your virtue. It hurt my feeling y'know, Shrimp." Levy's eyes widened at his honesty.

"I didn't mean to Gajeel. Honestly. I don't even really remember what we ended up saying. All I remember was that it was loud enough to wake Lily…" Levy looked around for Pantherlily again.

"Me either Short Stuff. Oh, and Lil's in another carriage. Said he couldn't deal with me when I was like this."

"Oh dear. It seems we're quite good at causing chaos when we're together." Levy giggled nervously.

"It's all we can manage, Shrimp. We're too different." He sighed heavily then.

"We bring out the worst in each other don't we?" She looked out the window to see the countryside flying past again.

"Not the worst, Shrimp. Maybe just the crazy…" She caught him smirking to himself.

"I think you're right. Probably best to stay away from each other then?" She saw a flicker of something pass over his face.

"Probably." He closed his eyes and ground his teeth together. "And it'll be easy since I think this damn train ride is probably going to kill me." He turned comically green and put his head in his hands eliciting a smile from the solid script mage.

"You're not going to die you big lug…" She rolled her eyes and got to her feet rummaging around in her satchel. Gajeel stretched out over the 3 seats and threw his arm over his face dramatically.

He felt as if he would throw up everything he'd ever eaten until he felt his head being moved gently and placed onto he was certain could only be Levy's lap. Then he just felt as if he had been paralysed.

"What're you doin' Shrimp." He looked at her incredulously as she smiled down at him waving a leather bound book in the air.

"I'm going to try and take your mind off this motion sickness. Think of it as my way of making up for being awful. And then you can do something nice for me and we'll be even." All he could do was look flabbergasted as she opened up the book. "I'll read to you for a while, how does that sound?"

"Uhm, fine. I guess." He fixed his gaze on the ceiling, trying to stare past her. He understood what she was trying to do. But he just felt awkward. Until she started to read that is.

"Harp of the North! that mouldering long hast hung…On the witch-elm that shades Saint Fillan's spring… And down the fitful breeze thy numbers flung, Till envious ivy did around thee cling, Muffling with verdant ringlet every string, - O Minstrel Harp, still must shine accents sleep?" Her voice was sweet and calm. Like a breath of fresh air. But he didn't understand some of the words and it was making him feel like some dumb bastard - like the salamander.

"The hell you trying to pull, Shrimp?" He started to get up but Levy merely hit him on the face with the book, laying it out over his sneer.

"Just listen for now, Iron Breath. I promise you'll like it!" He huffed and lay still which earned him a good natured tap on the face with the book. "Well done Mr Dragon Slayer! I think we may be making progress. And the poems called The Lady of the Lake by the way. I forgot to mention that part."

"The whole goddamn book!" He'd thought poems were short.

"Of course, and it's beautifully written so shut up." He was getting on her nerves now. "But if you'd rather I left then-"

"Nah, just read the goddamn book will ya, Shrimp." She was quiet for a moment but continued with her reading without a reply.

Her voice washed over him and somehow took him closer and closer to the peace of the waterfall near to his favourite training spot. It was the only way he could describe it. She transported him to the only place that held true serenity for him in this fucked up world. It made sense to him now that she be a solid script mage – she had a way of giving power to words.

He drifted before too long. His nausea forgotten.

Levy's smile was devilish as she observed Gajeel – snoring in her lap. It filled her with glee at the prospect of claiming that she was able to lull the great iron brute to sleep. And she could do anything.

"Perhaps Lu-chan has a marker I could…" She whispered giddily to herself, her mind running away with the image of Gajeel marching through the station glaring at everyone with a wonderful moustache and a monobrow. It was small-time, but it would certainly set him off. She'd probably end up getting to fight him… But she'd better not do anything to break his trust just yet – no matter how much it would make her laugh.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the door to the next train car swung open and Pantherlily waddled through. He was so small that she would have missed him had she not been sitting in an isle seat. His face was serious but upon seeing Levy his eyes filled with warmth. She greeted him with equal warmth, a bright smile and a small wave.

"Lily! Where did you go?" He hopped up on the chair facing her and eyed her with amusement.

"I left the Dragon to roar by himself. I'm his cat – not his keeper." He raised an eyebrow and motioned to where Gajeel lay, sprawled out and drooling over the blunette's lap. "Although perhaps he has found a keeper in you. I'm assuming you offered to let him use you as a pillow? Were you reading to him?"

Levy's brow furrowed as she turned away from her friends gaze, pouting like a child and clutching her book. "I am absolutely _not _this imbecile's keeper. You saw our- uhm- fight Lil.' I'm only trying to make myself feel better about being rude to him. Even if he did deserve it…"

"Whatever you say Levy."

"Lily!" Levy blushed furiously. "You sit in my lap all the time!"

"Ah yes… But like I said. I'm a cat." Levy blanched at Pantherlily's triumphant expression. He sat straight backed with his little arms folded in front of him.

"You're making me sound like some sort of pervert!" She almost jumped up and shoved the iron brute away but somehow the peaceful expression on his face stopped her. Her breath caught in her throat and she looked up at Lily in panic.

"Don't misunderstand Levy – I don't think you're perverse. Just caring." Lily then held up his small paws in surrender with a jolly smile and jumped down from the seat again. "Jellal and Erza reckon we'll be getting to the station within and hour or so. They told me to get you all back into line and ready to depart. So, do that." He wandered off towards the carriage that Levy had left earlier and just for a moment when the door was opened – she heard literal screaming. Natsu must have woken up.

Peace was returned when the door swung shut meaning both she and the snoring brute were alone once more. Looking around the empty carriage she couldn't help but feel ashamed in that moment. Heat began creeping up her face and she felt aware of every inch of her body and how she held it.

"You know Gajeel – you're a lot heavier that I must have been to Ms Kira." Levy sighed and stretched her arms above her head before allowing herself to relax back into the seat. It was much easier to talk to him when he was unconscious. "It must be that big fat metal head of yours. Heh."

With her eyes closed she allowed herself to picture the little apartment above the bookstore where she'd lived as a child; it was easy to imagine herself back there with her own small body resting in the lap of the only parental figure she had ever known whilst she recited sweet words from delicate pages.

"She lead me out of my sadness Gajeel, with all of her books and kindness, perhaps I could do the same for you. But only if I treat you carefully. You may be brutish and cruel – but people go deeper than the words used to describe them. People are more than the boxes they are placed in." The blunette glanced down at his studded face with compassionate eyes. "You deserve books and kindness too... And I promise not to expose you to my freaky side anymore – because you clearly don't find it funny." She patted his head and laughed breathlessly for a moment.

Time ticked away as the train kept on speeding forward and Levy knew that they must be nearing their stop.

Erza and Jellal had passed by not long ago on their way to see everyone. Much to their amusement, Levy had blushed at their raised brows but made no attempt to move from her position.

"He's put my leg to sleep. I literally can't feel it anymore." She stared intently at her left foot as if willing it to move but it only hung limp. This made Erza smile but sent Jellal into a fit of shoulder shaking laughter.

"Is he drooling Levy?" Jellal rasped out, holding his stomach whilst Erza rolled her eyes at him.

"Of course not!" She had been watching out for drool and he had yet to do so. Just easy breathing and occasional mumbling about 'Devil-woman' and 'Salamander'. She eyed each of them with a humorous twinkle: "And just what were you two doing along there all this time anyway?" The laughter dried up and Jellal let out a small cough.

"I don't like what you're insinuating, boy." Jellal began, channelling his inner Master Falcon, and then explaining the situation. He'd gone to the other carriage to get in contact with Meredy, who had made a full recovery, and was heading to the Guild. The arrangement was that if this group had not returned after 3 moon cycles she would bring another team to come in after them. This was in case contact became a problem at any point.

The two exited the carriage like Pantherlily before them and Levy decided she'd better wake the brute up. Erza had estimated that they were twenty minutes away from the station so he wouldn't have to feel sick for long.

"It's been a nice change you know. I like you when you're quiet and sweet looking. Usually you're frowning like you want to bite- eek!" Levy threw her hands up over her mouth and stared down to see piercing red eyes and a glowering expression. Oh no. "Oh, uhm, hey there sleepyhead…" He sat up quickly and held the side of his head, clearly overcome with nausea yet again. Levy took her chance to put some space between them and jumped off the chair and backwards.

"How long did ya' let me sleep for, Shrimp?" He sneered at her as if she'd done something wrong.

"Well, we've only got a little time left until the journeys over. So I let you sleep for an appropriate amount of time don't you think? How does it feel that I've basically allowed you to time travel into the future and avoid hours upon hours of that motion sickness hell you end up in every time you travel!" She stormed back over to him and poked his forehead earning her a shocked inhalation of breath. "Why are you so grumpy, Iron Breath? You were being nice before."

With one studded eyebrow raised he wrapped one of her large hands around her delicate wrist and gently moved her arm away. "I'm always grumpy when I wake up." He lowered his gaze but continued to hold onto her wrist. Levy could not help but smile at his fierce expression.

"Try crazy." She looked down at his hand that had yet to drop. "May I have my arm back?" He released her immediately and his expression changed.

"So you took me time travelling eh?" The girls eyes widened and she blushed at his fanged smile.

"Yes. And you don't seem to be suffering any adverse side effects so I'd say was a successful trip." She was giggling at Gajeel' s incomprehension of the sentence when the train suddenly jolted to a stop causing her to fly forward and bump heads with the brute.

"Ouch!" She yelled upon impact with his seemingly metal skull. He also let out a cry but it was more one of surprise than of pain.

"I guess we're here then." He looked in mild concern at Levy who was clutching her head and wincing.

"Now I'm going to have a big bump you idiot!" She pouted and moved her hand away. Gajeels expression changed again to a look of utter shock and without warning he let out the loudest laugh she had ever heard from him. He had tears running down his face as he pointed at her forehead. Her yelling brought the other guild members running and they had to pull Levy away from the brute who just couldn't seem to get a hold of himself.

They had to haul her off the train kicking and shrieking to move onto the final leg of their journey in a questionable looking wagon.

"It isn't funny. They still hurt." Levy pouted and gently felt around the indents on her forehead that hadn't disappeared. All the team save Natsu and Gajeel, who had been banished to the roof along with with the luggage, were squished together in the back of a wagon that was taking them on the final leg of the journey way up into the mountains. Most of them had fallen asleep but Levy, Lucy and Juvia were still wide awake.

"Juvia finds it incredibly funny Levy-chan." The water mage whispered so as to avoid waking up the sleeping team members and looked sideways at a giggling Lucy.

When Levy and Gajeels heads had crashed together on the train, his eyebrow studs had indented her forehead and the marks had yet to go away. Everyone but Levy found it hilarious and in a cruel twist of fate this seemed to be what had brought their little team together. Instead of ripping out each other's throats separately they joined together in making fun of her. Even Jellal and Gajeel had bonded over it.

"Are we there yet?" Levy pouted and shuffled down in her seat. Lucy – who was sitting directly across from the solid script mage – patted her knee and giggled.

"It'll probably be soon." She looked out the small window where the sky was dark. Levy saw her nod slightly and then turn back to face the blunette. "I'm proud of you Levy-chan."

"What?" Levy brow furrowed at her friends declaration. "I just apologised to the brute. And injured myself in the process."

"You did way more than that." The blonde shook her head gently and looked sideways at the water mage who had just pushed a snoring Gray away from her with disgust when his head had lolled onto her shoulder.

"Juvia remembers what she and Phantom Lord did to Fairy Tail." The blunettes body trembled and she looked serious for a moment. "And afterwards you all accepted Juvia like family. But what Gajeel did to you in particular Levy-chan – for you to befriend him afterwards took great compassion and courage." Levy shifted under the two girls eyes and looked down at her clasped hands in her lap.

"Or supidity." She mumbled. What was with everyone lately? "I ended up runni- leaving because of how he made me feel. I rejected him." 'And every conversation I have seems to revolve around him' was what dawned on her.

"And thank Mavis you did." Lucy's eyes sparked fiercely. "He needed someone to give him a good kick. He's a colossal idiot – maybe not as big an idiot as Natsu – but Gajeel comes from a place of darkness and fear. And you…" She let it hang. Levy couldn't tear her eyes away.

"Juvia thinks you are the only one who can save him from himself." The blunette was taken aback by her friends heartfelt words. "Yes. Juvia's never seen anyone so obsessed or possessive before!"

And then unbridled sound erupted from Levy and Lucy who shook their heads as tears began to fall and snorting laughter burned their throats. The other team mates began to stir as the girls could not control themselves. Juvia giggled quietly unsure of what was so hilarious.

"What's on earth is going on?" Charle's haughty and tired voice questioned just as the wagon came to a violent stop.

Everyone plunged either forwards or backwards and from the narrow window in front of Levy she could see two bodies (belonging to their male dragon slaying duo) thrown from their place on the roof along with the teams luggage.

"Bastard!" Yelled the salmon haired dragon slayer who bounced up like a jack in the box and lit up the dark with angry flames.

"Not again?" Rasped Gajeel who just lay on the ground in a daze.

It seemed that they had arrived.

The rest of the team scrambled quickly out the wagon which pulled away so fast that Pantherlily – who was still inside – had to fly out the door of it whilst it was moving.

"Thank you!" Levy waved off the unusually silent driver. She knelt down beside Lily who landed by her feet. "Are you okay Lil'"

"I'm fine. He was certainly charming." Lily remarked with his little paws folded.

"He was reluctant to come here on a full moon. But I had Lucy convince him to take us." She giggled and stood up straight. "Jellal?"

"Hmm?" He turned towards her after telling the group to grab their luggage.

"I can't see the moon. It's too cloudy!" She walked quickly over to where Wendy had sat done upon her trunk.

"Don't worry." He attempted to grasp Erza's massive amount of luggage but nearly tore his arm off when he attempted to grab it. The scarlet haired knight giggled uncharacteristically at his sheepish expression. "We'll find it, Levy."

"Shall we-" Erza was about to suggest that they move when the clouds dispersed revealing the moon in all its glory. "-go?"

The group looked at each other nervously. That was spooky.

"We'll walk up a little further to get a better view." Jellal suggested and hauled his own satchel over his back and adjusted the hood of his cloak. He had relented to the fact that Erza was capable of wheeling her own luggage but Levy was unfortunately not that lucky.

"Would you like some help Levy?" Wendy asked her politely as she jumped off her trunk.

"Don't worry. I got it for sure." She smiled brightly and went to take the side handle only to have her tiny hand knocked sideways by a giant studded one. "Didn't you here me? I got it." She didn't even look up at him.

"I don't think so, Shrimp." He hauled it up on to his shoulder in one swift movement and his face turned sour. "The hell you even got in here?" He growled as she jumped up like an idiot to try and knock it off his shoulder as he walked forward with his stupid giant legs. She could hear Juvia arguing with Gray up ahead as well as Lucy complaining that Natsu had left his bag with her to run off ahead with Happy.

"I have-" She started.

"Books. You got books. Gihihihi" She stared at the back of his head fiercely, anger welling up inside. He was trying to help – but he was being a dick about it. She had an idea.

"Solid Script: IRON GOLEM FIST." Her small clenched hand shot up in the air as the tiny iron words swirled around her fist. She then plunged it full force into the side of Gajeels calf – she had read about pressure points before – and watched in glee as he yelped and tumbled over. "I'll carry my own damn luggage, Iron breath." She rushed over and grabbed her trunk tugging it away quickly. She felt a rush of adrenaline when he raised his head at her – his eyes burning with rage.

"What was that for!" He bared his teeth at her in rage as he yelled and struggled to get to his feet.

"Well violence seems to be the only way to communicate clearly with you." She was practically running away from him and increased her speed in fear when he sprung to his feet.

Gajeel was furious that she had managed to knock him down. He had only been trying to help. He watched as she sped away from him and he stopped momentarily to listen to her laughing and witness her playful expression when she looked back over her shoulder at him. How had that tiny shrimp packed such a punch with those delicate hands.

"I ain't stupid!" He caught up quickly when she stopped suddenly and he was so engrossed with her small form that he missed what was happening in front of them. "How'd you pack a punch like that, Shorty."

"Shh Gajeel. Look". The blunette was pointing forward to a great shuddering mountain that's summit seemed to have the moon sitting upon it.

There was white mist everywhere around it; swirling and writhing upwards. It engulfed the mountain right to the tip and seemed to lay there for a few moments. The team stared at it awkwardly and in silence – waiting for what would happen next in the unearthly display.

Suddenly the mist seemed to retreat off the mountain and rush outwards onto the surrounding valleys like magma rushing off the side of a volcano. Although it was far swifter than that; perhaps taking only 10 seconds to get to where they were standing.

"Watch out!" Cried Lucy who grabbed Wendy and shielded her eyes. The rest of the team acted in defence also and closed their eyes and turned away. Levy was knocked off her feet and she heard someone scream something unintelligable. An almighty rumble shook the ground and a crack echoed through the air that sounded like thunder hitting stone. A gust of air rushed past them.

The team then realised that they were not in pain and reopened their eyes.

Both Lucy and Wendy (with Charle in her arms) opened their eyes to see Natsu staring back at them with his arms stretched out as wide as his grin and his hands engulfed in flames. Lucy blushed and Wendy began to cry in fright.

Jellal, Erza and Happy had jumped behind the mass of luggage that the scarlet knight carted around with her on missions. Their hands had entwined and Happy had attached himself to Erzas head.

Juvia and Gray had bumped heads in an attempt to grab each other protectively and were now staring blankly into space and holding their heads whilst Pantherlily in battle form fretted over them.

Levy realised then that it hadn't been the mist that had knocked her off her feet but Gajeel. The mist was harmless but he was hovering over her with a crazed expression that made her squirm slightly. He was still a kinda scary guy. She looked side to side and saw his arms beside her face as well as his hair which seemed to form a curtain around her. He had managed to completely cover her from the imaginary danger. He had tried to protect her once again. She smiled up at him and raised a hand to his chest to gently nudge him in the right direction. He threw himself off her and got to his feet whilst holding out a hand to haul her up. She took it gratefully and thanked him. Once she was upright she looked around her feet to see that the mist was ankle deep.

"Levy…" Gajeel's gruff voice was serious and she looked up towards him. She realised that she was still clinging onto his hand.

"Sorry!" She pulled her hand away but he shook his head.

"Eh- no. I didn't mean that, Shrimp." He scratched his head awkwardly.

"The mountain!" Yelled Gray pointing into the distance, his shirt gone and his trousers hanging unbuttoned and dangerously low. How had he time to do that when Erza hadn't even managed to requip?

The huge mountain that mere seconds ago nearly touched the moon had been split right down the middle with each half falling away from the other leaving a huge triangular shaped space that allowed you to see beyond into an expansive canyon with lush trees and a river running along the centre. Not only that, but you could clearly a clearing in which there was buildings.

There were collective gasps and excited murmurs. There was a town right there. A town that appeared to them in the mist.

"It's real." Gasped Jellal. "Everyone is seeing this right?" He looked sideways at the rest of the group.

"There's certainly a town down there…" Erza nodded supportively.

"What happened to the mountain?" Wendy wondered in a small voice clutching Charle to her chest.

"It split in two." Charle deadpanned as Levy rushed forwards and then stopped.

"Obviously." Lucy rolled her eyes and clung onto Natsus arm. "I don't have a good feeling about this." He looked down towards her and spoke a few words of comfort.

"We found it! We're actually here!" Levy's glee overtook everything as she jumped up and down like a small child.

"And clearly somethings going on." Jellal continued on. "Our mission isn't for nought."

"Let's get going then, shall we?" Pantherlily, still in battle form, stepped up beside Levy who clasped her hands together and danced on the spot.

"Yes." She gathered herself and turned to the group of people she and Jellal had hand picked for this very mission. A mission that could very well be dangerous – but you wouldn't know that from the determined smiles on each of their faces. Everyone was ready to tackle this mystery. "To Brigadoon we go!" She yelled and took off running like a madwoman towards the pathway that had formed between the two halves of the mountain.

Gajeel was the last to leave. He hauled up the heavy box onto his shoulder and jogged after the crazed group. In her excitement, Levy had forgotten her trunk.

**Thanks for reading!**

**Il'll have another update at some point!**

**(I don't know when - but it will happen!)**


	8. Chapter 3: The Cold Moons of Yesterday

**A/N: Hello there lovely reader! I finished this chapter much quicker than anticipated and thought I should share! **

**Shall we celebrate the recent anime happenings? Air anyone!? And if you've been keeping up with the Manga then you know how exciting it everything has become. I have to say that aside from the Tenrou Island and Tartaros arcs this current one may be my favourite! It feels like everything is ending though but I could be wrong!**

**Anyway, hopefully you enjoy this chapter which can in no way compare to Mashima's genius – but perhaps will bring you a small speck of joy as you wait for new chapters or episodes or both!**

**The Cold Moons of Yesterday**

The Fairy Tail Mages stood completely awestruck at what they could see in front of them. Levy's mouth had fallen agape and she felt transfixed by the strangeness of the heavens.

They had walked for at least twenty minutes through the trees alongside the wide river trying to make it into the town. It was still very dark but Levy used her powers to make a light source; Natsu wasn't allowed to use his on account of the surroundings being incredibly flammable.

She shivered in the unfamiliarly freezing air and stopped casting her light. Darkness was not a problem anymore for not one but two bright, perfectly round moons shone in the star filled sky above the quaint buildings of Brigadoon. The team stepped out of the treeline slowly.

"What does it mean?" Levy had her eyes on the moons as she inched forward onto the cobbled streets of the town.

"I'm not sure but stay on your guard. We don't know enough about this place to be complacent." Jellal was visibly on edge as he took his place at the front of the group. They seemed to have come out the forest onto a kind of town square which was lined by shop fronts and small houses as well as the wide river. The buildings were small and tightly packed with thatched rooves and flowerboxes – it was like an old fashioned Magnolia or much like what magnolia may have looked like at some point in the past. The river had a bridge over it that was large and looked ornate even from a distance. It seemed to lead to more of the same kinds of buildings. To Levy it was both strange and familiar.

The team crept ever further into the centre of the town square. The place was eerily quiet as they surveyed everything. One large building in particular stood out to the blue haired solid script mage on account of its absence of an entrance. All the other little houses and shops had pretty little doors or archways to allow access but this one did not. Instead there was a huge pale clock face – like another moon - with numbers and hands ticking away seconds, minutes and hours. She found it to be curious. There were steps that wrapped around it and then a sizable noticeboard which was black with the information written in glowing white. She began walking forward to get a closer look.

"Does anyone else feel weirdly calm?" Lucy asked as she tugged Natsu towards a little shop with flower bouquets in the window. Levy shuddered but did not answer. She stood in front of the blackboard like sign filled with painted words and began to read. The largest script read: 'TOWNSPEOPLE TAKE NOTICE.'

"What's it say, Shorty?" Gajeel seemed to appear suddenly behind her and place one of his heavy hands on her shoulder. She jumped and gasped and he pulled away embarrassed.

"No Gajeel." She turned to him with a look of panic. "Look at the date…" She pointed to the bottom left corner.

"45th Day of Harvest, X770. Shit." He read it out in a disbelieving tone.

"Maybe they just forgot to change the date?" Natsu piped in as he stopped beside Gajeel.

"Maybe. But that looks like freshly painted lettering to me." Levy called on Jellal who agreed with her. They all began to chatter in confusion and must have been louder than they anticipated for suddenly the clock face lit up brightly causing them all to jump back.

"Should we run?" Lucy whispered slightly crouched.

"No way – that'd just be suspicious. " Gray rolled his eyes but drew in his breath sharply when he saw the clock face begin to open up. Levy noticed how beautifully it had been crafted so that the hands were not disturbed from continuing to rotate.

More light flooded out onto the stone stairs an illuminated the cobbled square where the nervous Fairy Tail members racked their brains to find and excuse for being there so late. Levy stepped up onto the first step past the blackboard bravely and called out: "Hello?"

"Good evening." With a flourish a mountain of a woman stepped into view. She was dressed all in crimson sleepwear save for heavy leather boots which must have only added to her height and presence. She was a mature woman and her face was reminiscent of Porlyusica in that it held a menacing scowl that commanded respect despite the rollers in her hair looking a bit silly. "I am Aonach Mor."

Levy smiled up at the woman nervously. "I'm Levy McGarden. My friends and I are travellers and-" She was interrupted by Aonach who clapped her hands together changing her face to an expression of compassion as she descended the stairs past the small girl and suddenly grabbed her arm hauling her towards the rest of the group again. Erza took her hand to comfort her when the girl looked ready to have a heart attack and Gajeel took a step closer to her.

"Oh dear – have you lost your way?" Her heavy footsteps echoed around the square and no one said anything. Levy did not know whether or not to agree or disagree so she went with her gut.

"We did – but our intention was to come here anyway. We heard about your upcoming festival…" She let her sentence trail off. On the notice board it had talked about the upcoming festival preparations so she hoped she was on the right track to having an excuse for being here.

"Ah yes! You are the third group of guests to arrive. Why did you not wait for one of our guides to take you through the mountain? If you had just waited til' morning-"

"It was Juvia's fault!" The water mage piped in suddenly. "We arrived too late and Juvia convinced everyone to go around the mountain." She smiled sheepishly.

"Well that was very silly of all you youngsters. The forest can be a dangerous place!" She looked at them sternly but didn't seem to disbelieve their tale. "Will you be needing a place to stay? I know a couple that just recently opened up an Inn." She suddenly noticed the trio of exceeds and looked at them with fascination.

"That would be fantastic." Said Jellal calmly.

"Would you be so kind as to point the way?" Erza released Levys hand and picked up the handle to the cart she had miraculously managed to pull through the thick forest.

"I can do one better and take you there if you'd permit it." Aonach, who towered over even Gajeel gestured towards the bridge.

"Did we not disrupt you from sleep?" The reequip mage asked but did not protest to the woman's assistance. Levy thought she could see similarities between Aonach and Erza as well.

"No, I don't sleep much. I'm glad to find something to do. And I take great pleasure in bothering Mungo anyway." She laughed and stomped off into the cold night. They followed behind her as she chattered on about nothing. Levy could barely keep pace and Gajeel who had initially hastened behind the woman – still with the blunette's huge trunk on his shoulder – backtracked and fell into step with her without a word. He did not even tease her for her slow place. Instead he looked around with interest. She was happy but unnerved by his sudden interest in her welfare.

"I hope this doesn't seem forward Aonach-san but what is this places history?" Wendy's quiet voice interrupted the womans rant about the festival committee and she grinned towards her.

"Oh yes, well the town itself isn't old as we are newly settled here. This country is strange to us but as with every new place we travel to there are things that we have the opportunity to learn about – for example I haven't seen creatures like these before." She stopped to allow someone to fill her in and Panther-Lily was the one to comply.

"We're Exceeds. I am Panther-Lily. This is Charle and Happy." The dark furred exceed gestured to his friends. Charle smiled witheringly and Happy smiled brightly. The woman did not look the least bit surprised at the fact that they could speak.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Well, yes, we are the decedents of a clan of travellers. My people never stayed in one place for too long until now actually. I was raised in so many lands I've lost count but I'm originally from a small island in the cold sea. Our people have never forgotten our heritage. That's what the festivals about anyway. You'll learn all about everything to do with Brigadoon if you care to pay attention. And if not – the music is going to be simply wonderful." Her heavy boots thudded with every giant step. She guided them through a maze of stone houses with this area seeming more residential.

She pointed forward towards the end of a row of small houses to a much larger building. Two torches burned on either side of the double doors and to their surprise a cheerful melody radiated from it.

"Juvia can hear music right now!" She smiled brightly and began skipping to the merry sound which was coming from inside. Levy watched Gray watching Juvia. He looked like he wanted to join in with her fun but denied himself. Natsu had no such problem as he spun Lucy suddenly and much to her displeasure as she snatched Happy from the air and threw him at Natsu's head. Everyone began giggling as Aonach slammed her fist against the door three times and yelled for those inside to open up.

The music stopped abruptly and it sounded like something was thrown inside. A soft muffled voice could be heard trying to calm one that appeared very annoyed. Someone with a heavy tread came towards the door and threw it open with ferocity.

"Not bloody again you giant mental-" Levy looked on in amusement as a short and stocky blue bearded man got down off his tiptoes and smiled innocently. He had initially been intent on standing up to the woman towering over him but his face, having been red from anger, was now red from embarrassment. "Hello there. Uhm dear… I think we have guests." He pulled open the other door to allow them all space to enter. Aonach Mor bent down to fit under the doorframe and went in first whilst the rest of the group followed suit.

The ground floor of the place was beautiful. To the right was a large check-in desk made of thick wood with a small brass bell and all the keys for the rooms hung on what looked like a hand carved board behind it. Past this was a door but the room it lead to was dark so you could not see anything. To the left was couches placed around a roaring fire, similar to Gajeels home, with a few tables and chairs for good measure. To Levy's utter delight most of the wall space was shelved and covered in books. On the back wall was a simple stair case with another door underneath and the floors were entirely wooded save for an expansive patterned carpet in the centre of the room. All in all it was a nice, warm place and everything seemed very new.

A smiling woman with long brown hair laughed as she set eyes upon Aonach and the group.

"What Mungo means to say Aonach is that though we do enjoy your late night visits - the knocking is a little excessive." The woman, whose voice was so lovely it nearly had Levy in tears, had remained perched on the back of the largest couch and was holding a strange instrument in her hands. She stood up gracefully. Levy had initially thought she would be tall but instead she was petite – however still taller than the man who had answered the door. Gajeel, under the guise of setting down the trunk, leaned down and whispered into the blunettes ear.

"These shrimps your long lost relatives or somethin' gihi." She turned to glare at him discreetly and pushed his face away when she saw his mocking expression.

"Quiet idiot Gajeel…" She muttered as the woman smiled towards her. Realising she had caught their exchange Levy cast her eyes down to her toes is mortification.

"Actually my darling Kenna – Mungo means what Mungo says." The man comically forced himself to remain calm whilst Aonach leaned against the counter chuckling at him. The brunette went over to join them with a twinkle in her eye.

"Fair enough." She stated simply before she addressed the group of Fairy Tail Mages standing in the centre of the room. "Sorry about all this. I'm Kenna Coll and this is Mungo, how can we help you?"

"They're here for the festival!" Aonach piped in before any of them could reply.

"Let the youngsters speak for themselves you old bat!" Mungo erupted again and slammed his hand on the wooden countertop. Everyone save for Kenna jumped and the mages erupted with laughter.

"Mungo you imbecile." The woman said simply as she leaned against the counter to smile up at him. "Are you standing on the box again?"

"Kenna please." Mungo looked down embarrassed, his cheeks continuing to flame.

"Listen to your woman Mungo you bushy faced brat!" This time Aonach slammed her expansive hand down. The man tugged on his blue beard and huffed.

"She's my wife you giant walking headache!" Levy giggled and bent over to pick up Panther-Lily as she perched herself on her large trunk beside Gajeels legs. She looked around at her friends and smiled when she saw Lucy who had sat down on one of the chairs chatting quietly with Natsu who had knelt beside her and placed his hand on her knee. It was sweet to look upon them. They were both so innocent – especially Natsu.

"May I ask you how long you'll be staying?" Kenna ignored the battle of wills going and turned to the mages speaking amongst themselves. Jellal stepped forward again.

"We're not sure, it depends on how long we're able. It seems like an interesting place – and money is no problem." He looked sideways at Erza who without warning entwined her arm with his and lay a head on his shoulder. Levy's brown furrowed and the conversations ceased. Everyone looked on to see what Erza was about to do. Her smile became strange and she began blushing.

"We're getting married – so we thought we'd go do some travelling with the wedding party. Nothing like a bit of group bonding before the big day. Plus we get to escape our familes for a while." It took everything for the other members of their group not to react like this was not a huge surprise - poor Jellal looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"How lovely! It's so important to do these things when you're young and before the little one's come along. Travel is good for the soul! There are certainly some romantic spots here. A hot spring in the mountains and a little tree house not too far beyond the river path! Maybe if you like Brigadoon enough you could come back and have your wedding here!" Kenna gushed with a giant smile and then slammed her own hand down on the desk. It broke her husband and Aonach from their argument and Jellal seemed to gather himself. "Listen Mungo. For goodness sake. If we're going to be running a business then you need to pay attention to the customers when their standing in front of you." She turned to the group of mages. "You're our first customers."

"I'm shocked." Gray said sarcastically. Juvia elbowed him hard and he coughed in pain. "It's such a nice place."

"How many rooms should we make up then?" Kenna asked in a very professional manner. "We have…" She trailed off and turned to Mungo who sighed as if expecting her next question. "What rooms do we have again?"

"Two Master Double Rooms, two Double Rooms, two Double Rooms with two single beds in each and two Single rooms with one bed in each. They all have their own bathroom except for the single rooms – they have to use the bathroom on the upper floor until their private ones are finished. " He rhymed this off easily. "We can also offer the lodge in two days. I could finish it by then." He gestured towards the back of the room. "It's out back through the trees and up the hill. Kenna and I built it ourselves. It would be big enough for you all."

"I helped build it too." Pointed out Aonach with feigned arrogance causing Mungo to snarl at her like a tiny bear.

"Wow! That all sounds great!" Lucy piped up quickly. "What's the plan then Erza?" Everyone was looking at her both expectantly and warily. The red head had gone rogue as she pulled Jellal forward to the desk and Kenna began speaking again.

"All we need right now is for one of you to sign down all the names and put down a deposit. And if you could put the rooms everyone will be staying in beside them that would be great. There's shorthand for them written at the top of the page. See – MD stands for master double and so on." Kenna was grinning as she gave her spiel clearly delighted at playing the proper innkeeper.

Levy regarded Erza as she looked over her shoulder with a crazed expression at the group. Levy's eyes widened as she took the pen from Mungo and pulled the fresh looking leather bound sign in book towards her and began writing. She could almost hear the maniacal laughter that must have been going through her head.

"Me and my fiancé shall share one of the Master rooms as will my Maid of Honour, Lucy and her husband, Natsu." Lucy could not contain her squeak as she smiled in panic – Natsu as expected didn't seem worried in the slightest. He actually seemed pleased. "Wendy and Charle shall share one of the double rooms as will my other Bridesmaids Levy and Juvia." Levy exhaled in relief and winked at Juvia who winked back. She'd been worried for a second about having to share a bed with Gajeel again and Juvia was clearly still not ready for temptation from Gray. "The groomsman can decide amongst themselves over the double rooms with single beds." She was dishing out orders like the general of an army.

Then she said something brilliant: "The year is definitely X770, right?" She put the date beside their names.

"Oh, yes." Kenna confirmed and looked back towards a small calendar hanging on the wall.

"But why can't I share with Juvia, Erza?" Gray butted in with a sly smirk, either to distract from the mention of the date or out of a genuine wish to share a room with Juvia – perhaps it was both. Nobody could contain their laughter save for Juvia who shrieked.

"Because Juvia and Gray are not on speaking terms any longer." Juvia stared at him incredulously.

"How inappropriate Groomsman!" Yelled Erza causing Gray to shrink to the floor like a tortoise retreating into its shell. If this was her pretending to be a bride what might she be like if she actually did get married?

"Also – if you do finish the lodge we would love to rent that. It would be better for business to be honest. We cannot promise to be completely sane guests as you can see." Jellal spoke quietly to Kenna who nodded happily.

"Who likes boring guests anyway?" Cried Aonach causing Mungo to clench his fists and jump up into the air.

"Are you still here you humungous twit!" He yelled joining in the noise of Juvia and Gray fighting.

"Daddy?" Came child's voice from the darkened doorway. A small figure was peeking out from the door frame looking on in interest and silencing everyone for a moment as they turned to stare.

"Awk, little one. Did we wake you up?" Mungo rushed to the door and scooped the child up earning a sweet giggle. Kenna looked after them with a blissful expression.

"I dreamt about the dragon again!" The child exclaimed with glee earning a grin from everyone. Lily turned to Levy with a smirk and they laughed together. She looked back over her shoulder and caught Gajeel looking at her with an angry expression. She shrugged it off.

"Dragons, did you hear that everyone? Well you'll need to get back to that then, won't you? Hold on Kenna, I won't be a moment." He called. Levy could hear him telling the child that they were new friends. It made her smile as her mind drifted back to Master Falcon, Hebe and the child named for her back at the library.

"That child's drawn to chaos Kenna. One to watch in the future I reckon. Dreaming about those giant winged beasties." Aonach laughed loudly and winked at Levy as Kenna shook her head serenely.

"As am I. Why do you think I married blue beard?" She began giggling. "It certainly wasn't his charm."

She seemed to return to her professional mode as Jellal fished out the payment from his satchel. Levy jumped off the trunk and set Lily back down on the floor.

"I'll make sure Mungo gets the lodge finished for you. I'll give him a day instead of two." She smiled and went around the counter to gather the keys. "Do you want me to take you up to your rooms or would you like to go get settled yourself? It's easy to find everything once you're up there."

Erza noticed the room numbers were on the actual keys themselves.

"Don't worry about it – we'll head up. Is there any where you'd like us to avoid?" The red headed mage asked politely.

"Don't worry about that. Our own space is only accessible through that door Mungo left through. You're free to roam around everywhere on this side. Except other people's rooms if they don't want you in there." Kenna informed them as Aonach eyed Gray accusingly. "But you're the only guests here!"

"Thank you very much for your hospitality Kenna. And thank you Mor-san for helping us out even though we arrived as loud strangers in the dead of night." Jellal laughed and the fierce but jolly giantess joined in.

"The people of Brigadoon have open hearts." She stated as she tucked Erzas huge amount of luggage into the large and thankfully empty cupboard underneath the stairs. "We're all just one big family at the end of the day. Now get a good sleep and come by the clock in the morning if you want a rundown of the best places to visit." Everyone said thank you as they headed up the stairs towards their rooms. Levy was last in the queue and couldn't help but turn back to Kenna who had been re-joined by Mungo at the front desk.

"You were playing that music weren't you?" She asked and Kenna nodded whilst she picked up her instrument.

"Indeed it was. I must stop playing late at night if you can hear it from outside." She smiled and laughed with Mungo who shook his head.

"No don't. It's beautiful! What kind of instrument is it?" Levy loved the sound it made.

"A fiddle. It's my pride and joy - passed through my family for generations. My ancestors crafted them back in the old country." She smiled her serene smile at Levy. "I'll play for you sometime." Levy beamed with almost child-like glee. Books were her life, but music was always something that brought her great joy.

"I'd love that!" She said lingering on the staircase for some reason. Perhaps she was not eager to be part of the chaos that was surely going on up there between fake husbands and fiancés as well as everything else that was going on.

"You comin' Shimp?" Yelled Gajeel from the top of the stairs. It was quieter than she expected up there and she shook her head.

"Coming idiot! Goodnight Kenna, Mungo. Thank you for letting us stay here. Goodnight Aonach." She gave them a small wave and rushed off upstairs after Gajeel to find him leaning casually against the wall beside an open door in the middle the carpeted hallway. Levy gulped when he half smiled at her and continued past 4 doors. Why did that stupid oaf have to look the way he did?

"You're in here." He motioned with his head but jumped back when something came flying out the room and smacked against the wall.

"Levy-chan! This room is so cute!" Juvia popped her head out the doorway with a sweet smile which seemed at odds with the fact that she'd just thrown Gray out of the room and knocked him unconscious.

"Juvi?" Levy yelled into the room after her eyeing Gajeel in confusion when he shrugged carelessly at his friends antics.

"Juvia had no choice Levy-chan. He was stripping." Her sing-song voice made Levy giggle. Gray was a sorry sight crumpled on the floor in only his boxers. Levy was about to say something when Gajeel began walking away towards the second stairway at the end of the hall. She stood bewildered.

"Gajeel!" She called out in brief terror. "What about Gray?" She didn't want him breaking down the door and carrying off Juvia into the night – though that was probably more Natsus style. Or Erza's

"I ain't dealing with that pervert, Shrimp. See you in the morning." He paused for a second and turned around. "Unless you want to trade rooms with him? Gihi."

"Shut up idiot Gajeel." She fizzled as her face burned red.

"Fine then." And he turned around again to start walking.

"Gajeel!" She practically growled in annoyance. "Get back here!" The authoritative tone earned her a second pause and a studded eyebrow raise but he made a move again. "Iron breath." She warned.

"Gee Shorty, calm down. I would have come back for him. I'd kick his ass too but Juvia don't need my assistance." He rolled his eyes and back tracked slowly eyeing her folded arms and stern expression with amusement. She watched him unceremoniously toss their friend over his shoulder and huffed when he ruffled her hair.

"Go to bed." She ducked away from him and backed further into the doorway to watch him walk down the hallway. Gray began groaning as he awoke.

"I hear ya' Ice Pricess." The iron dragon slayer grunted and started up the stairs. "Damn women." Levy sighed more out of amusement than anything else.

"Goodnight Gajeel, sleep well. Thank you for carrying my trunk." With that she headed into the room to find Juvia already tucked under the covers – she missed Gajeels sharp intake of breath and satisfied smile.

Levy knelt down beside her and Juvias luggage and opened her own to retrieve bedclothes. Juvia sat up and caught her smiling to herself.

"Juvia thinks that Levy-chan should stop flirting with Gajeel and get down to business." She raised her eyebrows suggestively and Levy shook her head.

"Not tonight Juvia." She sighed. "Why was Gray in your room again?" She began stripping off as Juvia shook her head.

"He followed Gajeel in and then would not leave. Why does he make it so difficult for Juvia to hate him?" She allowed herself to slump forward. "And so easy at the same time. He's a terrible person."

"Sounds like you're trying to convince yourself." Levy perched herself on the edge of the bed beside her friend.

"He's only interested now because Juvia is being cold. But that is not truly…" She buried her head in the duvet. "Juvia just wants to be loved for who she is."

"You will be!" Levy adjusted her sitting position and patted the water woman's hair softly in an attempt to comfort her. "And I have a feeling Gray wanted you before. Sometimes it's difficult for people to admit something. Maybe your rejection has finally made him feel safe to pursue you because he thinks if you no longer want him – he can't truly lose you. He may just be scared…" Juvia peeked up at Levys smiling face and smiled back.

"Juvia hope's so… But she still hates him." She pouted and sat up again.

"Yeah – he's probably just crazy like every other guy in our Guild." Juvia's eyes danced now and Levy couldn't help but feed off of her positivity. Despite being one of the deadliest women Levy had ever met she was incredibly sweet. "So what happened when I was downstairs?" The bookworm asked eagerly.

"Oh! Well Erza handed Juvia and everyone their keys and Lucy looked like she wanted to faint. Jellal let Erza go to their room and he took the others to theirs but Gray-sama followed Juvia into our room with Gajeel. He put down your trunk and then went to call for you. Gray-sama was being annoying. Juvia heard Jellal come back along the hall and that's all Juvia knows." She was grinning like a cheshire cat as she recounted the 2 minutes Levy had been gone.

"I really want to know what's going on!" Levy squirmed in annoyance. Her nose was bothering her.

"Juvia too! Imagine – Erza and Jellal getting married!" Juvia laughed loudly.

"Poor Jellal. And don't forget – Lucy and Natsu are married!" Levy wondered what possessed Erza to go with such a story.

"How could Juvia forget? It's so much fun!" She clapped her hands together then lay back down still facing Levy.

"But we can't forget we're on a mission." Levy became slightly more serious as she jumped off the bed and went over to the window to gaze out at the twin moons again. "And we've somehow managed to find ourselves back in X770."

"Juvia thinks you should sleep now Levy-chan." She offered the solid script mage.

"You're right." Levy sighed and wrapped her arms around herself turning away from the window and heading into the bathroom. "Goodnight, Juvia." She called out and closed the door behind her.

Today was a success, the people in the town slept and those she had met appeared to be living happily. Aside from the moons, the date and the cold being strange there were no dangerous encounter yet. But in her gut Levy felt strange. Something was definitely going on in this quaint little town and she promised herself that by the end of tomorrow she would be much closer to solving the riddle that was Brigadoon.

**Thank you for reading! **

**Til' next time.**


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